spydrwebb

not time to panic.

say hello to heaven

definitely a mystery... only rational explanation is special teams but even that's in the air. i doubt they're going to deal any of their existing TEs to make room behind pettigrew but its hard to say what they're doing exactly. we'll hopefully know more after camp.

you would be hard pressed to find somebody who can PRESENTLY make a case for how passing up the players you mentioned was a good idea, yet i believe there must be reasons based on information we are not privy to at this point. we don't have and likely will not have the full story. this might be a case of scouts being outplayed, and at the same time their picks might end up being a great investment. its fair to say that nobody knows for certain until their play speaks for itself on the field, and probably not before a season or two since it sometimes takes that long to develop. bottom line, none of these people have played in the NFL and they all deserve their respective opportunities to impress the fans/critics. if i have an impression at all from the lions, i would honestly say there were two things that have stuck out (in my opinion): (1) too much money given to stafford, yet i realize that's the nature of the beast in a non-rookie cap atmosphere. (2) i'll admit to my bias but i would have absolutely loved seeing oher as a lion... so i was obviously jaded when they passed on him (as i know several of you were, too). all that being said... let's see what some of these kids do in the next season or two and then we'll have the basis we need to make solid claims, for better or worse.

dumars knew that a team WITH billups wasn't going to seriously contend... he made a decision to add iverson based primarily on a salary dump. if he received production and consistency from AI that would have been a bonus. what appeared to be a hasty and very risky decision to deal billups is actually a fantastic deal for detroit because now they have a great chance to land 1 or 2 key free agents. without the AI/billups swap, this chance looked grim, at least not without significant cuts. with sheed and billups contracts off the books, the pistons find themselves in VERY good position to contend for a marquee player, if not two. that being said, i don't see this team losing much momentum and they should make a playoff run next season as well. this isn't that bad of a situation but obviously joe and his staff could shake things up even more than experts anticipate, making things that much more interesting. i personally feel joe will park on the concept of being patient and letting things play out before making any major decisions. not what any one of us would have liked to see happen for this year's playoffs but i do favor a quick and less painful exit over slow torture any day. edit: spelling

great win and a tough series... look forward to more hockey in grand rapids this postseason! let's go griffins!

maybe its better put this way, and perhaps i should have just left it at this to begin with: ***** about last season immediately after it ends and perhaps a few days later... but if you're still stuck in yesterday... GET OVER IT. if this team and franchise is so pointless and a lost cause to some of you... why would you even take time to express yourself in an online forum? if there's no longer value in following the lions, then move along and make more room for people who actually want to discuss the good, bad, and indifferent... NOT just the negative universe some of you choose to focus on obsessively. ________________________________ 09/10 hasn't even begun and we have no basis for damning players that haven't even played a down in a lions uniform, period. this opinion isn't directed at anyone particular... just that people who can't find one good thing to say should just shut their mouth altogether. there's more than enough of those types on the freep.com and detnews.com boards if you're looking for like minded bashers, please do us all a favor and leave criticism reserved for areas where it may be warranted and only if its based on fact... nobody ever said critical opinions weren't welcome but some of you dance around here, spouting off your BS about how you disowned this or that team, only to find you still lurking (or more confusing yet, posting) on this board. if you've given up... nobody is standing in your way... feel free to leave anytime. for those of you who choose to look at life more realistically, thanks for your valuable input and i look forward to hearing your informed takes on this upcoming season.

this is certainly a point of contention but i want to let it play out and see what happens. the money part is undeniable... something needs to change. quick observation... although immediate NEEDS weren't filled as most would have made the decision to address, let's not forget that we have secured 3 players rated #1 in their respective positions with this draft. if that doesn't help, maybe some of you should take a look at oakland and be glad you're not trying to make sense of their team at this point.

the team did not go 0-16 with this coaching staff. can those of you complaining about last season please wait to see what happens this year before you write off the new coaches and their personnel? i don't understand why some people are quick to hang these people before they've even stepped onto the field in a game that matters with this franchise. admit it, several of you are ranting to hear your own voice, or because you feel you need to vent frustrations from the past and project them forward. give me a break... the past is exactly that, the past. let it die. see what happens this season and then you can draw your conclusions based on facts. i'm not claiming to be the voice of reason or better than anyone here. i just have a difficult time being patient with those of you that want to cry foul every chance you get, for the simple fact that you seem to enjoy complaining. to those of you that know you fit this bill, please feel free not to respond. i'm not intending to debate the obvious here and i certainly don't think its my place to change anyone, or that i have the power to if i could. i'm expressing an opinion that i know has been shared here time and again... these people who lurk around LGW to introduce a pessimistic viewpoint on just about everything if/when given the chance... they can find a new place to dwell, as far as i'm concerned.

my comment about OL was less to do with suggesting their lack of importance and more to do with stafford not being the one to take the hit. in other words, people are saying that we destroyed stafford's career by not protecting him... he won't be the one getting hit next season. to answer your question about the possibility of dante getting hurt... yes, i believe they will go with stanton. none of this gets me excited but its our reality at this point... going 0-16 proved that this will be a LONG road to recovery. if the lions are able to pull out 2 solid starters from the 3rd round and later... we have to consider this a benefit to our team. thinking this team was going to make a run in the division (not directed at anyone personally, general point) is crazy, bottom line. what's more is the constant hate this organization receives from people who count them out before the season even starts. these people call themselves fans but i call them insane. one fine example of premature conclusions is the absolute lack of support the franchise received when they drafted calving johnson. he was considered by many to be "just another damn receiver that detroit didn't need." yeah, i would say he's more than proven himself. this is of course one example in a pool of several failures so i'm not trying to base our potential on one case... but i am saying that these people need to be given their fair opportunity to showcase on the field before they have to endure senseless ridicule from pathetic fanatics who claim to support the lions. when you step back far enough you begin to see just how many cry baby lions fans are out there, who always (not exaggerating) think they know more and can do more than the people who are paid to perform on the sidelines. i'm more realistic. a fan, not a fanatic. followed this team for 31 years... through good, bad, and indifferent. these people who piss and moan today are no different than the fairweather fans who disowned the wings when they were known as the "dead wings" and then later marched back into their arms with the inception of the russian 5, claiming to have never left. anyway, in 2-3 years we'll know more about the value of these picks. the day after the draft is NOT a time to be making premature judgment(s).

change "to" to "too" in too good to be true, then this is a keeper. well done.

thoughts about yesterday... not the draft i (or most of you) would have desired, yet three quality players. those making comments about stafford and a lack of OL to protect him... he won't likely play this season. trades and free agency can bolster the OL. defense might be a little more difficult at this point but there couldn't honestly be one lions fan on here that thought the draft was going to drastically change this team. i'm reminded of the lipstick on a pig analogy and it fits. this team is about 3-4 seasons from being a solid contender and the staff (i believe) is working on getting talent and character, to build around in future drafts and free agency. scouts obviously know more about the players than we do and i had been hearing different reports about some of the marquee names that were passed up at 20 and 33. i'm not convinced it was a good decision to bypass people like oher or laurenitis but i trust the organization to do what they can with what they have. unfortunately, WCF really placed this team in a precarious position when they guaranteed stafford such a high paying contract. that DOES hurt our chances to possibly score some other big name free agents but apparently that's the direction the league is headed and there's no way around it without instituting a rookie salary cap. a cap is absolutely necessary before this gets any further out of hand. the lions don't have a great track record of finding diamonds in the rough in late rounds but i'm holding onto hope that the new leadership is able to select kids that will work well together and not be a cancer in the locker room. my grade (on the surface) is a C+ at this point, but there's still 4 or 5 picks to consider and hopefully some signings post-draft that will improve the lions chances of winning some games. let's face it, if the lions win 4-5 games it will be a stellar improvement from last season. a complete turnaround is possible (a la miami) but highly improbable given this personnel. i'm all for choosing versatile and impact players from this point forward, to expand on the re-building process that began at the end of last season.

maybe around your ankles then, no?

i don't think they were able to watch the game.

thank you and please feel free to come around anytime.

the former

guys, don't take the bait... please stop responding to trolls. attention is all they're after and you give them that by engaging in a dialogue with them. let it go. lead with class.

/does not approve of shadow47 or trolls in general

we asked for a close contest since the first 3 games were mostly lopsided, and boy did we ever get it. congratulations columbus fans for your team making the playoffs this season, and for the first time ever. they ran into an experienced veteran team and did the best they could with what they have. there should be no concern on your part because you can always build on this level of success. ask any one of us around here what it was like to be a fan during the dead wings era and we'll describe a certain element of what you're feeling now... well, at least some of you. congratulations detroit on a sweep of your 1st round opponent. rest up and we look forward to seeing you in the 2nd round real soon. GO WINGS!

no... while others had a terrible experience, i must have been one of the lucky ones who only lost the feed when the moderator did. perhaps it was luck but to those seeking alternatives i wanted to at least put this out there. hope it works for everyone, or you're able to find somewhere that does.

might work... OsGod fits the bill, maybe he'd be up for it? after all, he's rick nash b*tch!

very few hockey players don't talk trash... some more colorful than others but it's part of the game. like it or not, build a bridge and get over it. there was some value to this thread but not before the additional videos were posted to support the fact that this type of communication is commonplace. those videos saved this thread from being completely pointless.

you should have no trouble streaming the game HERE