The Official 2008 Detroit Lions Thread

[betterREDthandead 58]

Here's the list of players Jamie Samuelsen at the Freep thinks are "worth something." I think that "something" might simply mean "seventh round draft pick" especially in the case of Redding and Raiola, but still.

Calvin Johnson

Jason Hanson

Nick Harris

Kevin Smith

Gosder Cherilus

Cliff Avril

Ernie Sims

Cory Redding

Jeff Backus

Dominic Raiola

Jared DeVries

Dan Orlovsky

Dewayne White

Johnson, obviously, is a stud. Kevin Smith has got to be a superstar, running for nearly 1,000 yards behind this s***pile of an offensive line. Speaking of s***pile offensive lines, that ought to remove Backus, Raiola, and Cherilus from this list. Raiola is a symbol of our problems. The guy is backup talent that for years the Lions have considered starter talent. When the team is looking at linemen and using guys like Raiola as a measuring stick, that tells you they'll never have an NFL quality O-line.

Smith, as a matter of fact, would have been the fourth-leading rusher in the league this year if he'd carried as much during the first half of the season as he did the second half. I don't know how they did it, but Matt Millen managed to blindly stumble into a feature back.

But c'mon...Orlovsky? I'd be fine with him as a backup (which I guess means he is in fact "worth something") but not as a starter. Cory Redding? Dude's a bum and a half. If these are the players that are "worth something" then the Lions oughta find out exactly what kind of draft pick they can get for 'em.

[redwings1914 18]

10-7.......Note the extra game.

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

An outstanding article. Best I've read in a long, long time. Everyone should read it.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writ...ction=si_latest

[betterREDthandead 58]

An outstanding article. Best I've read in a long, long time. Everyone should read it.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writ...ction=si_latest

Beautiful.

[betterREDthandead 58]

To add to my thoughts....I may live in Rhode Island now, but I've always intended to move back to Detroit as soon as I get out of the Navy. (18 months or so from now.) I tell people this. They look at me like I'm nuts, like I don't know about the mayor and the crime and the unemployment and the autos and the abandoned buildings and the homeless people and everything. They don't get it. Mitch Albom gets it. He's a little bit oversappy sometimes, but he hit a home run here. A Cecil Fielder blast over the light towers and onto Trumbull. Incredible article.

[BlakChamber 8]

I enjoyed the article, I guess every so often he still churns out a decent article. But, it was the typical Albom schamaltz that hasn't been said a million times before.

The only thing that surprised me about the article is he didn't do his usual one line style of writing. We've all seen it.

Something sappy

Something sappy again.

More sap to tug at the heart strings and get on Oprah.

Repeat ad nausea.

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

I enjoyed the article, I guess every so often he still churns out a decent article. But, it was the typical Albom schamaltz that hasn't been said a million times before.

The only thing that surprised me about the article is he didn't do his usual one line style of writing. We've all seen it.

Something sappy

Something sappy again.

More sap to tug at the heart strings and get on Oprah.

Repeat ad nausea.

I really have never had a problem with his writing, but to be honest I haven't read much of it either. I emailed the article to my Dad, and he replied back telling me he doesn't waste his time reading his work, and hasn't for years. I did the same to my mom, and she loved it, but her favorite book is Albom's "5 people you meet in Heaven" or whatever it's called.

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

Beautiful.

Made me get a little teary-eyed, and I'm from Ohio.

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/80487972/

You have to watch this video.

[Doggy 130]

An outstanding article. Best I've read in a long, long time. Everyone should read it.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writ...ction=si_latest

Nice article. Glad to have read it.

[rwfan007 18]

espn is reporting that Crabtree is going to enter the draft... he is the best reciever in the draft, and arguably the best overall player in the draft. the lions have a history of bad WR picks, but with this kind of talent, should they pass on him? mind you they have 2 1st round picks, the #1 overall and dallas' pick too. They can virtually draft any position, because they need help at every position. This could be an interesting scenario.

[betterREDthandead 58]

espn is reporting that Crabtree is going to enter the draft... he is the best reciever in the draft, and arguably the best overall player in the draft. the lions have a history of bad WR picks, but with this kind of talent, should they pass on him? mind you they have 2 1st round picks, the #1 overall and dallas' pick too. They can virtually draft any position, because they need help at every position. This could be an interesting scenario.

You can't be serious. The one position where they have the best player on the team and probably one of the top five guys in the league, and would be ridiculed from here to Timbuktu for drafting, and you're suggesting they consider that?

[rwfan007 18]

i am not suggesting anything. I said we can basically draft any position because we need improvement at every position, but would they pass on a sure thing superstar like crabtree?

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

i am not suggesting anything. I said we can basically draft any position because we need improvement at every position, but would they pass on a sure thing superstar like crabtree?

No. Learn from your mistakes. If he was the best player of any position left, then yes, you consider it. But with the first pick, we have the option to fill the most dire needs with top talent. And WR is down the list as far as needs go.

[timothy1997 0]

Martin Mayhew is out to prove to everyone that he is not Matt Millen...so why would he draft a WR at #1.

[betterREDthandead 58]

i am not suggesting anything. I said we can basically draft any position because we need improvement at every position, but would they pass on a sure thing superstar like crabtree?

Yes, they would. This is not an interesting scenario, it's a no-brainer.

[BlakChamber 8]

Besides the fact they would get completely slammed by the fans and the media, the Lions do not need another WR. Yes, another good WR to draw defenders away from Calvin Johnson would be nice. But improving the OL, the DL, getting a QB, hell everything else is more important.

[betterREDthandead 58]

No matter who the Lions hire as coach, they're gonna be run out of town in three years after racking up maybe 15 wins, tops, because the management doesn't know what a good football player looks like. And they're never gonna coach in the NFL again, just like the rest of 'em. So I haven't really rooted for any particular pick because it doesn't matter. But I know who I don't want: Todd Bowles, or anyone who's an old playing buddy of Mayhew's. Drop that win total to 11, tops, if that happens. If Mayhew picks an old teammate there's no way I could ever take him seriously as a GM.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

WCF should put all of those resources solely towards kidnapping Bill Parcells. That's nine or ten wins right there.

[rwfan007 18]

with all the armchair quarterbacking going on, I sure as hell would not want to be in the front office of this organization right now... Ford and Millen have screwed this team up so much, it will be a long time before we see any sustainable results. there are just so many things wrong with this team top to bottom, positive change is going to take a ton of work and time. i think this is going to be a 5 year process before we get any kind of nucleus back that the team can build around. we just need a few young studs who we know will be in this organization for the long haul and make them leaders so they can give this team some kind of identity. just start with offensive and defensive line. whether via draft or free agency, get the trenchmen set, at least we will have some kind of say at the line. Start there and build out.

[rwfan007 18]

well, lions hire former Titans D-Coordinator Jim Schwartz... lets see what he can do with this pile of crap team.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3835911

[timothy1997 0]

well, lions hire former Titans D-Coordinator Jim Schwartz... lets see what he can do with this pile of crap team.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3835911

Kinda of cool for the Lions to hire our own Matt Schwartz, creator of this great website, to run the team. I know the team is in bad shape and normally someone who is in an entirely different sports field would be a bad choice, I have confidence in Matt's ability to run this team.

Oh wait, that was Jim Schwartz, not Matt Schwartz. My bad folks.

[Jwo 7]

Always depending on us Schwartz's

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

Well I guess it's a start in the right direction. His last name doesn't start with a 'M' like all the other recent failures

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

Hey a team in college basketball I think they are NJIT? They had a 51 game losing streak. They finally won tonight. Maybe if the Lions lose 51 straight, they will go to the super bowl then?