regdunlop's Blog

In some ways, a Lions fan could be pleased with the team's draft haul. They recognized their multitude of weaknesses and drafted players at those positions. Sounds basic, but if you look at past draft years, that's not always the way we do it here.

That said, it is unacceptable for an NFL general manager who has been here for eight drafts to be stocking a cupboard so bare. All these rookies will not make us an upper echelon team, and they shouldn't be expected to. We're years from seeing a team that breaks .500.

Look up inept in the dictionary and you'll see the Detroit Lions logo.

 

In my pre-draft post, I postulated that the Lions could not have a successful draft under any circumstances because their roster has more holes than Mayor Kilpatrick has excuses.

After Saturday's action, my view remains the same. They added two obscure names, but at least they are at positions of need ... o-line and linebacker. But sadly, there are still gaping needs at running back and on the defensive line.

Additionally, we desperately need to draft guys who can be immediate starters, and the jury is out on that one, particularly on the linebacker from Colorado. I actually heard Millen tell Dan Miller on the radio shortly after the pick that one of the reasons he liked the guy is that he can help on special teams. Matt, we need premier players, not the jack-of-all-trades type.

So on Sunday, I'm begging ... a heavyweight for the center of the d-line, plus someone for a position that is somewhat important ... the man who runs the ball. Then there is the issue of a pass rusher, something else we need.

It also sounds as if we'll be without one of Marinelli's "character" defensive backs signed for millions out of Tampa. He's in jail, accused of attacking and choking a pregnant woman while intoxicated. 

Every team runs into a little bad luck, but with the Lions, they create their own.

Now let's see what Sunday brings ...

 

 

Draft day is one of excitement for football fans across the nation eager to see which promising young stars will come aboard and become key pieces in the drive for a championship.

In every NFL city except Detroit, that is. Seven years into Matt Millen's regime, the Lions are thinner on talent than ever. We have holes everywhere, nothing is a strength for us.

That's why the day is more depressing than exhilarating for Lions fans. Will a strong pick at No. 15 in the first round really make a difference? I think not, one good pick leaves a dozen more gaps to fill. The team is substandard all over the field.

For there to be any glimmer of hope this season, the Lions must add immediate contributors with their first four picks. But I predict they'll have a difficult time winning more than 6 games next year, they are that lacking.

Recognizing the absurdity of any NFL team needing this much after seven years of one GM's rebuilding effort, here's what this fan would be looking for:

Top priority, linemen we can count on as cornerstones on offense and defense. Not sexy, but think where we'd be if this had happened years ago instead of picking all those receivers.

Next, a durable running back. We also have a gaping hole at middle linebacker.

But simple common sense and arithmetic suggest it is unlikely we'll get all these needs filled with our first four picks. That's why in the D, draft day is a downer. 

   

 

As a fan who looks forward to flipping on FOX 2 each Sunday to see the Lions play some good old NFL football, I can only shake my head in dismay at what is not only another lost season, but very probably another lost decade.

There is plenty of blame to go around, from lack of effort (for a laugh, check your Tivo for Sean Rogers' effort on Green Bay's second extra point) to bizarre offensive play-calling to the humiliating defensive meltdowns.

But at some point, the Lions need to channel Harry Truman and realize that the buck stops at the top. Owner William Clay Ford can see as well as any of us that Matt Millionaire churns out an Edsel every year yet is left in charge of the production line.

The stats geeks at the newspapers can quote you the win-loss record, a woeful 50 games under .500 after seven straight years of failure. But another way to look at is to examine what it is Millionaire is supposed to do.

A person in his job is supposed to identify coaching talent, agree on a successful scheme and provide the players who can execute the strategy.

Instead, Millionaire has failed twice on coaches and his third is not looking so hot either. There is no discernible philosophy with this team that translates consistently onto the football field.

And worst of all are Millionaire's personnel failures. After seven years of drafting, many times at the very top of the board, the Lions had zero players make the Pro Bowl this year (alternates don't count). How can one guy miss the mark so often and still be granted control of the franchise?

Further, even the most casual fan would expect a methodical approach to building from the ground up. No team wins championships without strong line play, yet Millionaire has drafted wide receivers in the first round in four of seven years.

The fact that two were disasters aside, that is not how a team builds.

And as the team's 1-7 finish eliminates pretty much all optimism for next season too, no time could be better than to rename the team for what they are ... the Detroit Edsels!

 

 

In the end, the best case for Lloyd’s retirement was made by Lloyd himself, with that dismal performance Saturday. I didn’t see a single play that I hadn’t seen all year. Couldn’t he have come up with anything different, unexpected or surprising? We were so Geico ... a gameplan so simple a caveman could do it ... that we gave OSU a completely pressureless win, which is a disgrace to the rivalry. Our offensive ineffectiveness was an outrage and proof that Lloyd is not up to getting the most out of elite athletes in the post-2000 era.

 

 

He’s an honorable guy but thank the football gods he’s out. I saw EMU vs. CMU on cable Friday night, and both coaches had ten times the creativity and fire as Grumpy Gus. They flashed a stat during the OSU game … while we were behind of course … that we’d been behind by 10 points in the previous five straight games. In every one except Wisconsin, his players were able to overcome the coaching handicap to win. Not surprisingly, against a better team, the miracle wasn’t going to happen.

 

 

Looking back on it all, I really think his stubbornness won out over common sense.  How else can you explain his repetition game after game of the same plans that barely worked against inferior opponents. Determination is one thing, stupidity is another. On Saturday we got a little traction with the no huddle, then he abandoned it. I also think he opted for loyalty to Henne rather than giving his team the best chance to win. It was obvious in the second half that Henne’s shoulder was shot, and Mallett had a gun. Mallett should have been in longer and probably finished the game.

 

 

When they showed schematics of the new lux boxes to be built on the east side of the stadium, I knew this had to happen. Can you imagine going to alumni and asking them to pony up megadollars to watch Carr’s bore ball? Not a chance.

 

 

The only amusing sidenote to this is that while Carr has been abused by Tressel to the tune of a 1-6 record and forced into retirement, Carr has equally humiliated Paterno at Penn State. The Nittany Lions faithful  must be wondering when JokePa is going to wake up and smell the Kaopectate.

 

 

Last thought … the next head coach cannot be one of Lloyd’s assistants. We need a creative offensive mind. Maybe Les Miles, but maybe Bobby Petrino, who turned Louisville into an offensive juggernaut with far less talent before moving to the Atlanta Falcons. I’ve also heard talk of Jon Gruden.

 

 

Please, someone who can make Michigan football fun and exciting again!

 

 

Went to Game 1 at JLA last night ... it was like a three-period title fight, not for the punching (just one of consequence with gloves dropped) but the aggressiveness, hitting and counterattacks. The Ducks are bruisers who laid on every hit they could. In fact, they have a few guys (are you listening Brad May?) whose only role seems to be to plow into people.

But more impressive was Detroit's ability to absorb the punishment, refusing to either back down or be goaded into dumb retaliation. One of many examples was Dan Cleary getting leveled, getting up and on the same shift blocking a shot on a good scoring chance. The Wings were unbelievable in their poise.

Then there is Dominik Hasek. We would be looking at a 5-2 loss today with any of his predecessors in net. He was there for everything, again that poise word, and beaten only by a perfect bullet right inside the post.

Wings fans have a ton to be proud of today. Friday night's effort was team with a capital T.

Go Wings!

 

 

 

In a word, the Detrroit Lions draft is ... Lionesque. Any who have watched the follies from Tiger Stadium to the Silverdome to Ford Field know what I'm talking about.

The Calvin Johnson pick ... the hype has built him up into superhuman proportions. I just hope he can avoid injury and beyond that, in Martz we trust. Hopefully our offensive mastermind can use this pick to turbocharge the offense.

But is anyone else concerned that the offensive line is so questionable? Cleveland thought so highly of tackle Joe Thomas that they took him at No. 3. If Kitna has no time to throw, and our running backs see nothing but opposing jerseys at the line of scrimmage (remember Kevin Jones getting stuffed and wrecking his foot?) , Calvin doesn't help so much.

Speaking of Lionesque, what other franchise would trade down for their quarterback of the future? And pick a guy who was 0-4 vs. Michigan and seems like more of a runner than a thrower? Sheesh. The return of Mike McMahon.

From there, it looks like the Lions are intent on stocking the special teams squads. As inept as the team was last year at 3-13, I can't see any of the unknowns they've selected coming in to start this year. Is there any plan at work here at all, Matt?

Our Lions ... rebuilding since 1957. And after this draft, it looks like we'd already start looking for help in 2008's draft.  

 

  

 

 

 

 

The Red Wings alumni ... Burr, Duguay, Ogrodnick, Norwood, Redmond, Mio, Probert (apparently in town on a day pass) and others ... played at JLA Saturday night vs. the Boston Bruins alumni ... O'Reilly, Hodge, Sweeney, Doak, Featherstone, Linseman, Secord and others.

The game was pretty pedestrian (Bruins won) but the afterglow in the Olympia Room was excellent. While the female hockey admirers flirted and the autograph seekers swarmed the recognizable guys, my buddy Ticketmaster and myself chatted with a few of the players.

Al Secord is now a pilot for American Airlines. I asked him about a story I'd heard when he was with Toronto, about Secord confronting a teammate about having a fling with another teammate's wife. Al said the indiscretion part was true, and very upsetting to the Leafs players because there were many many other women available. He said matter-of-factly that once the story came out, he made it a point to run the guy all the time in practice. Excellent fellow.

My one shameless fan moment was shaking hands with Terry O'Reilly and telling him how much I admired the way he played. Like the rest of the guys, he was very nice.

The other encounter of note was with Lyndon Byers, the tough guy who was inked and built like a big round bear. As we stood at the bar he threw a massive arm around my shoulders and told me about jumping into a pit of cobras while in Thailand with Cam Neely.

Can't beat those hockey guys.

What a glorious afternoon-evening for fans of the Tigers, and doubly so if you root for the Wolverines. Flipping from game to game, it got better and better.

I thought I would be more involved with what was happening at the Big House but the Comerica Park scene was unbelievable. I'm so glad FOX hung with the post-game, the sight of the joyous Tigers returning to the field to slap hand with the fans and spray them with champagne was priceless.

And what's with Kenny Rogers? The guy with the grumpy reputation thrills us with his Jack Morris like will to win Friday, then is out there on top of the dugout Saturday dousing fans and a state cop with bubbly. Talk about your instant classics ... In 24 hours, the Gambler becomes a sports icon with two moments that won't be forgotten.

Awesome!

Check out the video bios of FOX 2 people under the People tab. I've not seen it done this way, much more interesting than the text style. I also learned that one on-air person played tight end for the Memphis Showboats.

Different ends of the spectrum in Michigan college football this week. Wolverines are 5-0 with a smashing of Notre Dame to feel good about. Sparty is on the ropes after two embarrassing losses.

But as we enter rivalry week, the maize and blue shouldn't get too comfy. The Spartans have good athletes and desperately need to get things turned around. They are capable of scoring points and if Hart or Henne go down, Michigan's offense is in huge trouble.

Speaking of injuries, Drew Stanton is exactly the type of mobile, playmaking QB that has given Michigan fits the last few years. Probably the biggest key this game will be his ribs, injured late vs. Illinois.

This could be a shootout with a ton of scoring coming down to the fourth quarter. It also could be a depressed State squad getting crushed Bobby Williams style, 49-3.

Prediction? The newly aggressive Michigan offense runs it up early and cruises, 35-16.

Your thoughts?