Anyone surprised?

[dream_017]

Initially, yes, I was surprised. After looking back...not so much.

Who cares about Obama or McCain in '08....how about Cowher in '09

[scrumtalecent]

I don't care who they hire, all I know is that Marinelli's message isn't being heard. He talks about effort and fundamentals, about being prepared. Yet his teams are never prepared to play a game, and they are the worst team in the league from a fundamentals standpoint. So what is the point of having a head coach who so clearly has lost the team? Fire the bum.

I should have mentioned I agree wholeheartedly. I just don't know who they're ever going to get in there that will be any good as long as Ford and Millen are around, unless the Lions somehow stumble upon a sure-fire hall of famer. Ford or Millen has had a hand in forcing out said hall-of-famer, picking Germane Crowell over Randy Moss, grabbing "play-makers" like Az-Hakim, picking Charles Rogers in the first round of the draft, picking Mike Williams in the first round of the draft, picking Kevin Jones in the first round, choosing guys like Dan Orlovsky or Brian Calhoun or trading for guys like George Foster and Tatum Bell. This looks like a sad sack of a team. Maybe they'll prove us wrong, but it doesn't look like it'll be this year.

[Dan Lambskin]

I don't care who they hire, all I know is that Marinelli's message isn't being heard. He talks about effort and fundamentals, about being prepared. Yet his teams are never prepared to play a game, and they are the worst team in the league from a fundamentals standpoint. So what is the point of having a head coach who so clearly has lost the team? Fire the bum.

I should have mentioned I agree wholeheartedly. I just don't know who they're ever going to get in there that will be any good as long as Ford and Millen are around, unless the Lions somehow stumble upon a sure-fire hall of famer. Ford or Millen has had a hand in forcing out said hall-of-famer, picking Germane Crowell over Randy Moss, grabbing "play-makers" like Az-Hakim, picking Charles Rogers in the first round of the draft, picking Mike Williams in the first round of the draft, picking Kevin Jones in the first round, choosing guys like Dan Orlovsky or Brian Calhoun or trading for guys like George Foster and Tatum Bell. This looks like a sad sack of a team. Maybe they'll prove us wrong, but it doesn't look like it'll be this year.

it was Terry Fair...but your point is valid, although i dont think Kevin Jones was a bad pick

[moochman]

I don't care who they hire, all I know is that Marinelli's message isn't being heard. He talks about effort and fundamentals, about being prepared. Yet his teams are never prepared to play a game, and they are the worst team in the league from a fundamentals standpoint. So what is the point of having a head coach who so clearly has lost the team? Fire the bum.

I should have mentioned I agree wholeheartedly. I just don't know who they're ever going to get in there that will be any good as long as Ford and Millen are around, unless the Lions somehow stumble upon a sure-fire hall of famer. Ford or Millen has had a hand in forcing out said hall-of-famer, picking Germane Crowell over Randy Moss, grabbing "play-makers" like Az-Hakim, picking Charles Rogers in the first round of the draft, picking Mike Williams in the first round of the draft, picking Kevin Jones in the first round, choosing guys like Dan Orlovsky or Brian Calhoun or trading for guys like George Foster and Tatum Bell. This looks like a sad sack of a team. Maybe they'll prove us wrong, but it doesn't look like it'll be this year.

it was Terry Fair...but your point is valid, although i dont think Kevin Jones was a bad pick

One should never forget to mention taking Kalimba Edwards over Clinton Portis. And we needed a RB at the time!

[mtuhusky]

Honestly, what do you expect from a defense made up of Tampa Bay castoffs?? Tampa is cutting them all for a reason and we pick up them up immediately.

Ford needs to change the teams name to "Tampa Bay Practice Squad of Detroit."

[AngryLionsFAn]

Absolutely TERRIBLE game. I don't see where solid Def fundementals or "establish the run" came into play. Kitna was throwing temper tantrums at the end of the 1st half because either the playbook or his timing with WR was totally off, and it's no surprise that they went to the air in the 2nd half.

This once again makes me glad that I'm not in Michigan and I won't be able to watch most of the games this year. I just want to punch something or drink heavily everytime I watch this poor excuse for a football team. My Grandpa (the one that got me into the Lions) would storm out of the house and do yardwork or something when they were losing. I'd imagine by now he has cultivated an entire rainforest up in heaven. RIP Ron Lantange. I'll be a Lions fan the rest of my life because of him. One of us has to see them get to a Super Bowl.

[AngryLionsFAn]

Hey MTUhusky,

I'm also a Lions fan in WI, over in Sheboygan. I'm guessing by your username you went to Michigan Tech? Are you a Yooper originally? I went to college downstate, but I grew up in Gladstone.

If you ever feel like starting a small "support group" of Lions fans in WI let me know LOL. I'm ecstatic that the girl I'm dating right now ISN'T a Packer fan. She admittedly hasn't paid much attention to football in the past, but she's taking an interest. I told her I wouldn't expect her to share in my misery, but I do want her to be a "human shield" and step in front of me and yell "NO! don't hit him!" if I'm about to get my butt kicked in a sports bar.

[RWLongy4]

Hey MTUhusky,

I'm also a Lions fan in WI, over in Sheboygan. I'm guessing by your username you went to Michigan Tech? Are you a Yooper originally? I went to college downstate, but I grew up in Gladstone.

If you ever feel like starting a small "support group" of Lions fans in WI let me know LOL. I'm ecstatic that the girl I'm dating right now ISN'T a Packer fan. She admittedly hasn't paid much attention to football in the past, but she's taking an interest. I told her I wouldn't expect her to share in my misery, but I do want her to be a "human shield" and step in front of me and yell "NO! don't hit him!" if I'm about to get my butt kicked in a sports bar.

If not a human shield what else are gfs good for?

Welcome to the ugliness that is the Lions board ALF.

[scrumtalecent]

picking Germane Crowell over Randy Moss

it was Terry Fair...but your point is valid, although i dont think Kevin Jones was a bad pick

Doh! Nice catch. I didn't mind the Kevin Jones pick either, but he only runs for 1000 yards one year (his first) and then we let him go for peanuts. Heck, I liked the look of the Harrington pick, too, but I think Detroit has a habit of ruining peoples careers. If Quentin Jammer comes here instead of Harrington, he's probably out of the league in two years. Instead, he's a mainstay on the Chargers. If Harrington ends up on a team with an assemblance of an offensive line, he never develops the "happy feet" that ruined his career. The man is a leader and could have been one on the field.

I read this by a fox sports writer:

Shame on me for being fooled into thinking the rebuilding-since-1957 Lions could win on the road.
That was a suck-the-life-out-of the-damn-balloon -for-the-season type of loss.

...and was reminded of listening to the radio Monday afternoon. I couldn't believe how many people were calling in expressing their surprise at the loss. Are you serious? I'm sure many of them had the Lions going 8-8, 9-7 or even 7-9 this season and figured this Atlanta game was a definite win on that record. I haven't been a die-hard for years, but I don't see how people sit down in front of the tube Sunday afternoon and think there's a 90, 80, 75 or even 50% chance they're going to win on the road! Cummon now! It's the Lions! What have you people been watching for 51 years let alone the past 7?? Stop eating the cornbread! Shun the Kool-Aid! Fire Millen! Round up the coaches and fire them all! Trade Calvin Johnson before it's too late for the guy and you can still get something for him!! Ok, that's a little drastic, but you know what I'm sayin'. Enjoy the games Sunday, just try to be logical.

[moochman]

I read this by a fox sports writer:

Shame on me for being fooled into thinking the rebuilding-since-1957 Lions could win on the road.
That was a suck-the-life-out-of the-damn-balloon -for-the-season type of loss.

...and was reminded of listening to the radio Monday afternoon. I couldn't believe how many people were calling in expressing their surprise at the loss. Are you serious? I'm sure many of them had the Lions going 8-8, 9-7 or even 7-9 this season and figured this Atlanta game was a definite win on that record. I haven't been a die-hard for years, but I don't see how people sit down in front of the tube Sunday afternoon and think there's a 90, 80, 75 or even 50% chance they're going to win on the road! Cummon now! It's the Lions! What have you people been watching for 51 years let alone the past 7?? Stop eating the cornbread! Shun the Kool-Aid! Fire Millen! Round up the coaches and fire them all! Trade Calvin Johnson before it's too late for the guy and you can still get something for him!! Ok, that's a little drastic, but you know what I'm sayin'. Enjoy the games Sunday, just try to be logical.

Suck-the-life-out-of-the-damn-balon-far-the-season type of loss. And we are talking about week 1. How bad do you have to play to have you hopes for the whole season dashed? No matter, this team is very resiliant. They will find away win 3-6 games so this loss has little real affect on the season. Well, other than a likely black-out of the home opener. LOL way to go Lions fans. This current coaching staff is so clueless that we should withdraw support. I heartily encourage those who do go to wear a paper bag in honor to the Lions pride that NimRod has instilled in this team. Feeling so sorry for you Dream.
As for people expressing surprise, you have to remember that they were playing a team thought to be one of the worst in the league and had gone 4-0 in the Lions play-offs-AKA the exhibition season. And we had to hear the beat writers forced spewage about how all the moves we made were paying off and this team is getting the Tampa-pew D. Then to have your team come out and play a historically terrible game is quite shocking.
Be careful what you wish for in trading Franchise. That won't happen, but you need only look at Roy to see how it can play out. Roy is all but gone when his contract is up. I don't think the Lions will franchise him becuase they will have to franchise Paris Lenon or someone. By the time Franchises contract is up, he may very well be fed up with the Lions experience.

WHAT ABOUT NOW!!!