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 Crap 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

Matt Millen will not be fired

season record will be 6-10

3rd in the division

10th pick in the 2009 draft

  The Detroit Lions recently signed veteran back Rudi Johnson after the Bengals cut him.  This meant that someone had to go.  This happens on every team in the NFL right now.  A player gets cut from one team and another signs them the next day.  Just another day in the NFL.  Teams are tweaking as many things as they can before the season starts including their rosters.

  This story comes from our friends at profootballtalk.com: "A strange thing happened to runningback Rudi Johnson when he visited the Detroit Lions on Monday.  Someone stole his stuff.  Johnson left his bags outside CEO Matt Millen's office while he met with team officials and, ultimately, worked out a deal with the team. So when Johnson came back to get his bags, they were nowhere to be found.  Johnson and Millen were stumped.

Enter the eye in the sky. The team checked the videotapes generated by the team's in-house surveillance system, and they quickly identified the culprit.

So who might it have been?  None other than Tatum Bell, who lost his gig with the Lions after Rudi arrived.

Per the source, Bell took the bags to the house of a female acquaintance.  When confronted on the matter, Bell offered up some cockamamie story that he thought the bags belonged to someone he knew.  The girl, however, said that she hadn't seen Bell in several months and he showed up out of the blue and asked her to keep the bags for a while.

Johnson has retrieved the bags, and it's our understanding that charges won't be pressed."

At least he didn't go Najeh Davenport on him.  Najeh got back at an exgirlfriend in college by breaking into her dorm room and dropping a duece in her closet!  

 

  From the weird to the odd, from ythe very old to the last month there are some really odd stats. I grabbed some from all over the map looking through baseball stats through out history. I may have left out some of the best because they aren't stats that everyone has heard before. These can get you some knowledge points at work or amongst your friends. Most of these are from pitchers.

 -In 2006 pitcher Scott Mathieson threw just 6 pitches before leaving the game with an arm injury. The odd stat is the box score. 0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

 

 -This July (2008) the San Diego Padres had only one stolen base for the entire month. That stolen base came from recently traded Greg Maddox.

-C.C. Sabathia won his 8th game in a row for the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 8-0 and only one win from matching Doyle Alexander's 9-0 run for the 1987 Tigers as the best start by a pitcher who switched teams midseason in the last 90 years. The Tigers traded minor leaguer John Smoltz to make a run only to lose to the Twins in the ALCS.

-In over 140 years of baseball there have been zero players to play on two sides of two cities. In other words, no player has played for the Mets, Yankees, White Sox, and Cubs in their career.

-In almost every season since 1872 there have been at least one 20 game loser until 1980. After 1980 it took until Mike Maroth accomplished the feat in 2003. The best 20 game losing season (record wise) was by pitcher Bill Hutchinson in 1890. He pitched for the Cubs that season compiling a record of 42-25 with a 2.70 ERA. In 1890 there were exactly 20 pitchers who had 20 or more losses.

-In 1879 pitcher Will White of Cincinnati pitched 75 complete games in one season. He went 43-31completing every game started with an ERA of only 1.99 pitching a whopping 680 innings. Six pitchers have completed 70 or more games in one season, however they all did it before 1885. In 1885 the president of the United States Grover Cleveland was elected to the white house for his first term. The weird stat for Cleveland is he is the only President elected to two non-consecutive terms.

-It has happened every season this decade, but not yet this year. In 2008, no pitcher has come into a game, thrown 1 pitch and earned a loss. However 18 pitchers have done it since 2000. In 2006 it didn't happen until August 29. With the exception of Jimmy Gobble and Ray King all of the others apear to be walk-off homeruns.

-Former Cubs, A's, and Pirates hitter Matt Alexander or should I say runner played nine seasons. In all of his nine seasons he only had more at bats than games played just once! In 1974 he played in 45 games and had 54 at bats. In 1978 he didn't even get an at bat in the seven games he played in. Alexander had 103 career stolen bases and only 168 at bats. He played in 374 games for his career. From 1978 to 1980 he played in 88 games only batting 16 times.

 

Mathieson only faced one hitter and struck him out -- but still gave up an earned run and, according to the box-score gods, recorded more strikeouts (one) than outs (zero).

  Yes, now you have heard of them all. Diets are as American as Credit Cards. Most Americans try at least one diet every year. Some seem to try a new one every month. From counting calories to counting points all diets have a system.

  Unfortunately the part of the diet most leave out is the most important one. That would be the exercise portion. There is a diet out there that doesn't work without it. Well except the "Hollywood diet". That diet is a liquid you drink for 48 hours to drop 10 pounds in two days. Too bad that liquid comes back out violently!

The 12,000 calorie diet consists of these meals:

 Breakfast- three fried egg sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions, and mayo, one five-egg omelet,  a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast with powdered sugar, and three chocolate chip pancakes washed down with two cups of coffee.

 Lunch-a pound of enriched pasta and two large ham and cheese sandwiches slathered with mayo on white bread - capping off the meal by chugging about 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.

Dinner- another pound of pasta, an entire pizza with another 1,000 calories of energy drinks.

This diet works! It only works though if you are training for the Olympics. This is the diet of the greatest Olympic Champion of all-time, Michael Phelps. However if you aren't training you would actually gain four pounds per day. This is also equal to 20 Big Macs. Phelps burn approximately 1,000 calories per hour when he is training.

The next time you want to try a new diet, go for it. I would recommend swimming for the exercise portion of your diet though. That must be why I was so skinny as a kid!