Ok so this pains me as a native Detroiter and Michigander more than anyone could possibly know. Regardless of my nonchalant behavior toward the subject and my many quips about the Lions being on time out with me, I still feel sorry for the winless bums. If having one of the highest unemployment rates, a rapidly sinking automotive industry, a scandalous jailbird ex-mayor, and young people fleeing the city faster than the Israelites exodus from Egypt wasn't enough, we have a sorry excuse of football team totally inept from winning against even the Houston Texans!!! How much can a girl take?
The situation is beyond bleak and unlike the Big Three pleading "Please sir, can I have some more" to the federal government, no amount of goodwill from NFL commissioner Robert Goodell will sway Detroit from the path of 0-16 except a good old fashioned WIN!!! Already 0-10, the Lions are poised to join the ranks of the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only team in NFL history to NOT WIN a regular season game. That's almost as impossible as staying undefeated the whole season, if not more so.
"We're almost paralyzed here," says Tom Wilson, president of the Detroit Pistons before Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers added insult to injury. "Everybody is scared in this city. They're 0-9 and, if after Sunday's game they're 0-10, they'll have the entire front page of the newspaper, in a town with the Stanley Cup champions ..."
More like paralyzed with anger and resentment. Hell, you'd be hard pressed these days to find even the most loyal fan picking Lions' game tickets over a loaf of bread or a Lions' banner hanging off the rafters of your local watering hole. If the taunt "How about those Lions?" was enough to entice me to hurl a chicken sandwich wrapper five rows up at the back of the head of an annoyingly cocky Celtics' fan during a 2005 Celtics at Pistons game, you can imagine my resentment now at the ridicule the mere mention of the Lions' franchise incites.
Granted the Lions did manage to score a 4-0 preseason record however, since when has the preseason been any indicator of regular season greatness let alone playoff contention? Just add that to the ridiculous 31-84 track record that sums up ex general manager's Matt Millen's seven year reign of mediocrity. Let's not forget 23 head coaches have yelled in frustration from the sidelines since 1930 and can anyone guess what's the record for playoff wins in the past 50 years? One. With the one win that was almost a guarantee already blown (vs. Houston Texans on October 19th), the remaining schedule vs. the Bucs, Titans, Colts, Saints and Packers only argues the point that the Lions can pretty much chalk up this entire season as a non-stop ride on the loser train and hope for the no 1# draft pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. As ridiculous as purposely losing a season sounds just to land a #1 draft pick, it would be no more ludicrous as Detroit's inability to keep their top guns from fleeing Motown. Take first round draft picks Joey Harrington (2002), Charles Rogers (2003), Kevin Jones and Roy Williams (2004), and Mike Williams (2005), for instance. All have been traded, left or retired in the Lions' front office hair brained attempt at turning the ailing franchise into a world class team. Just ask '89 NFL Draft alum, Barry Sanders.
It's cold in the D!
Related articles:
Wretched Lions have what it takes to be NFL's first 0-16 team
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3703116
Damn I thought I was signing with Titans
As a life long Lions fan I think I need a new team because we are the laughingstock in the league.
I thought you said you felt sorry for them. You threw even more gasoline on the fire! :-)
I definitely agree with most of your points.
Truth hurts. I'm a realist first. I can empathize with someone but my friends and anyone else who knows me will tell you I'm sincere. I try to be that way whenever possible and a lot of their problems come from years of mismanagement more so than untalented and uninspired players but the players aren't totally exempt either. Can't keep crying over spilled milk. At some point you gotta man up and work with what you have until you can get better resources. Sugar coat it all you want to but there's no reason we should be 0-10 right now. I'm not buying we're that terrible where we deserve an 0-16 record for the sake of getting a number # 1 draft pick next year!
It isn't my fault. Hey I drafted Calvin Johnson. 1 out of 30 draft picks is ok right?
Well... I'm a proud Lions fan and I was one of the folks spouting off that the Lions would have a good season [I told everyone they would go 12-4 this year] and unfortunately they have not. What upsets me most about the Lions season is not the fact that they are 0-10... yes that sucks to high heavens but what's worse is the little to no effort they play with in some games. Yes I would love to have some wins but no team is guaranteed to win on Sunday but if you show up and put forth some type of effort you at least lend yourself the opportunity to win.
Case in point... look at Cincinnati and Oakland [other teams I love]... they too are not having the best season but for the most part they show up every Sunday and fight tooth and nail for that victory. Yes on more than a few occassions that have come up short but at least they were in the games and they f**king tried... my Lions don't even do this. Perhaps if they stayed out of clubs [saw with my own eyes] and started practicing and caring about winning maybe just maybe they would get one.
Having typed all of that they will win Thanksgiving against Tennessee.... I know it's a long shot but I never can truly give up on my Lions becasue one day.... one season they are going to be amazing.... and give me a good price on a ticket and I am there.... LET'S GO LIONS!!!!!!
I had the same belief and hope for my Tigers and finally they turned the franchise around and started winning again... they are not the laughing stock of the league anymore and although they did not make it to the playoffs the last two seasons at least they put forth some effort and had a shot to be in the pennet chase.... perhaps one day my Lions will make that turn and start finally winning.....
in three more years calvin johnsons gonna be traded to
I am still guranteeing 10 wins
Well hate to break it to you dear but we're not winning against Tennessee sorry. Deep down you know this based off the comment you made about giving little to no effort and how other teams just as weak fight tooth and nail and actually show up to play on Sunday. As I said, we have a better shot at beating Minnesota and maybe the Saints. We already lost the one surefire win we had and couldn't even close that deal! I pray they get their act together but until they come out to play, it's all just wishful thinking isn't it?
Well as a committed Lions fan I have to agree that this is bad. No more can I go back to the days of yesteryear when I would take out my Barry Sanders cards and hold on to them as I watched him run all over the place.
I can't stand watching them now cause they just tease you so much and then just bomb at the end. I mean come on now! That coach too is full of it too. Standing up there and say, "Welp, we still got a shot. I see something there and all we have to do is hone in on that one thing." I don't think there ever was a one thing to focus on.
Let's get it Lions. Do something worth yours and ours time before time runs out.
Poor Detroit. What more can I say? The Lions should be at this point, after so many losing seasons, be competitive. I mean look at the Tampa Bay Rays.....you keep losing you get better draft picks. Maybe they can do the 180 next year and go to the bowl....lol oh wait that aint gonna happen
We aren't much better
I hate to say it, but the Lions have not been any good since Wayne Fontes coached the team. They were more or less playoff regulars under him even if they only have one postseason win to show for it (1991).
The second biggest mistake was getting rid of Bobby Ross after a 9-7 season. They're not going to get better until the Ford family sells the team...period.
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