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3/6/03-
Off-Topic: The Detroit Lions: Still Pathetic
The Detroit Lions,
who are considered by some to be a professional football team, are
again blundering through the off season. Their latest blunders?
Well, management genius Matt (5-27) Millen at first declared that
fellow M&M boy Marty (5-27) Mornhinweg and alleged football Head Coach
would return for another disappointment filled season. A
few weeks later, he changed direction fired Marty and hired buddy
Steve Mariucci who was cut loose by the San Francisco 49er's (we all
need friends like Matt Millen.) The NFL is now looking into
whether or not the Lions followed the league guidelines for minority
hiring.
This isn't a case
where the league advocated that the Lions hire an inexperienced coach
(although it's not like they haven't done that
before.) Dennis Green has been available since last season and
the Lions didn't even consider interviewing him until Mariucci came
available. Let's compare the two:
|
Name |
Steve Mariucci |
Dennis Green |
|
NFL Record |
57-39 |
92-52 |
|
% Winning Percentage |
.594 |
.639 |
|
Coached Dome Teams |
No |
Yes |
|
Playoff Streak |
4 times |
8 Years in a row
with 8 different QB's |
|
Familar with the Lion's Division |
No |
Yes |
|
Exchanges Christmas Cards with Matt Millen |
Yes |
No |
Yeah, it's pretty
obvious why the Lions jumped when Mariucci became available...He's a
rare commodity...The NFL should hammer the Lions they way that most
teams do on the field.
The Lions continue to stumble through the league and the latest
coaching fiasco is the just the latest in their storied history under
the Ford family.
Bad Owners are Rewarded
The system has allowed the Ford family, owners of the Detroit Lions, to plod
along mismanaging the team for the last 40 years. The NFL
ownership system has protected them from their own stupidity, allowing
them to profit while exhibiting total incompetence in team affairs.
So what do these owners get for delivering Detroit Lions fans one
playoff victory since 1957? A brand new stadium. It's said
that the the Fords are well respected in NFL circles. Of course
they are! Everyone likes you if you're easy to beat!
But Winning is Hard
Some misguided Lions
fans are probably thinking, 'But Phil it's hard to win in the NFL.
It's even harder in the postseason. Give the Fords a break...' Winning is hard? Going to the
Super Bowl must be even harder to accomplish.
Consider this list of Super Bowl participants:
|
Bills |
Raiders |
Steelers |
Giants |
|
Bengals |
Jets |
Rams |
Chargers |
|
Broncos |
Vikings |
Eagles |
Falcons |
|
Colts |
Dallas |
49'ers |
Titans |
|
Packers |
Miami |
Bears |
Ravens |
|
Chiefs |
Redskins |
Patriots |
Buccaneers |
24 teams have not
only won in postseason but have advanced all the way to the Super
Bowl!!!
Let's look at which
teams are left:
|
Browns |
Texans |
Seahawks |
Panthers |
|
Cardinals |
Saints |
Lions |
|
3 of these teams
(Browns, Texans, and Panthers) are recent expansion teams. That
leaves the fearsome four- the worst teams in the NFL. The truth
is that 75% of teams have advanced to the Super Bowl.
The Lions are not unlucky. They are owned by people who simply
can't make decisions that lead to success on the field.
What does it mean?
The Ford family has
the luxury of being propped up by a system where by it doesn't matter
whether or not they field a competitive team. Despite being a
league that promotes competitive balance they continue to find a way
to underachieve. The people of Detroit would be better off with
an expansion team, at least then we'd have different owners then we
have now.
Phil
Callihan
UMGoBlue.COM, Editor-in-Chief
phil@umgoblue.com
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Phil Callihan is the Editor-in- Chief of
UMGoBlue.COM. Phil graduated from the University of Michigan
in 1993 and has been a football season ticket holder since 1994.
Full Bio
Read More of Phil's Columns
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