Detroit Sports Thread

[conmee]

Bad weekend all around... Michigan loses, Wings lose, Pistons lose, Lions lose, if it were baseball season, could pretty much guarantee the Tigers lose. ugh. Hell, why not also throw in the working man at Delphi and GM, they lose, and the 4,000 white collar stiffs at Ford, who will lose by Jan.. their jobs, that is...


GO IRISH!!!

Icon.

[conmee]

Should have also mentioned Michigan State's loss to round things out.

GO IRISH!!!

Icon.

[ALinChainz]

It's up to Rogers to stay in the game

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

By Tom Kowalski


ALLEN PARK -- It's all on Charles Rogers now.

In poker parlance, the Detroit Lions have pushed their chips all-in and have just forced Rogers to do the same. It's now an all-or-nothing proposition for Rogers, but here's the interesting part: Rogers has the ability to call his own hand.

That's right, the entire pot is there for the taking. All Rogers has to do is act straight, fly right and play football and he's holding pocket aces. If he fails another drug test or becomes a negative influence on the team, he's folded his hand and he's eliminated from the game -- and he'll be flat broke.

The Lions filed a grievance against Rogers and want $10.1 million of his $14.4 million signing bonus returned. Rogers was in default of his contract when he was suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy. A clause in Rogers' seven-year contract clearly states that a pro-rated portion of his signing (and option) bonus can be retrieved by the Lions if Rogers is suspended.

Due to the guidelines of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Lions had 45 days in which to ask for a return of the money and, when the money was not returned, to file a grievance. The matter will now be turned over to an arbitrator and that might take months before it's settled.

And that's fine with the Lions because they really don't want the money back, they want Rogers back. The Lions want to see the return of the highly gifted player they drafted second overall in the 2003 draft, not the guy who showed up in training camp this season.

Look, the Lions have money, they have lots of money. What they don't have is enough talented playmakers who can get them over the top. Not just in terms of making the playoffs, but becoming a legitimate Super Bowl contender. And Rogers has that ability.

The feeling here is that Rogers is still the most gifted wide receiver on the Lions team, even better than Roy Williams because Rogers has the speed to throw true fear into a cornerback's heart. Rogers showed that ability in his first five games, in 2003, when he had 22 catches and three touchdowns and he sent the media scrambling to look up Detroit's rookie receiving records.

The twice-broken collarbone, though, sent him off that track and might have dampened his spirit to play the game. With the exception of three plays in Chicago, Rogers was away from the field for almost two full years.

He didn't return with the same intensity in this training camp, but the Lions still believe the fire burns within him. The team also understands that only Rogers can bring it out.

By filing the grievance against Rogers, the Lions are protecting themselves. What they really want is to sit down with Rogers after the season is over and work out an agreement where, if Rogers does what he's supposed to, then he still stands to make a heckuva lot of money in his career.

However, if for any reason Rogers bails out and doesn't live up to expectations, the Lions still have the legal resources to go back and squeeze Rogers for that $10.1 million. And Rogers doesn't have to look far to see where he stands. Ricky Williams of the Miami Dolphins exhausted every legal resource possible to avoid paying back his bonus money (also for a drug suspension) and lost his case. He's back to playing football after a season of "retirement."

Rogers has two ways to attack this: He can sulk and mope and continue down his self-destructive path or he can embrace the second (third? fourth?) chance he's been given. So far, he's played his cards foolishly and he's down to his last chips.

There's an old saying in poker that as long as you have a chair and a chip, you're still in the game. Rogers is still sitting at the table, but unlike most card players, his fortunes aren't tied to luck or fate.

Rogers has to realize that he has the ability to call his own hand and Thursday's game against the Atlanta Falcons will be the first indication of whether he truly understands that.

http://www.mlive.com/lions/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/113274421791650.xml&coll=1

[ALinChainz]

Report: Lions may fire Mariucci

November 25, 2005


DETROIT (Ticker) - Following another embarrassing loss on Thanksgiving, Steve Mariucci might have coached his last game for the Detroit Lions.

According to various reports, including WJBK-TV in Detroit and the Detroit Free Press, the Lions may be in discussions to make a coaching change as early as Friday.

Thursday's 27-7 loss at home to the Atlanta Falcons was Detroit's fourth in five games and dropped the club to 15-28 under Mariucci since he took over before the 2003 season.

The Lions committed three turnovers on their first seven possessions and gave up 352 yards through the first three quarters.

"Right now, it's a variety of things," Mariucci said of his team's problems. "You fix things as you go along, and these things have to get accomplished."

According to the Free Press, team president Matt Millen declined to comment on the situation, but Mariucci may see the writing on the wall.

"I take the responsibility, because I'm the head coach and I should," Mariucci told the Free Press. "And that's what makes it a little bit frustrating, because where do you start? You identify where we need to be better, and there's a multitude of things."

With Thursday's loss, Detroit (4-7) took a big step toward missing the playoffs for the sixth straight season.

Mariucci, who had a 57-39 mark from 1997-2002 with the San Francisco 49ers, took over for the Lions after the club went 5-27 over two seasons under Marty Mornhinweg.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Au5_GDo6jy9dNY3szNZA8Fc5nYcB?slug=lionsmariucci&prov=st&type=lgns

[ALinChainz]

Mariucci's future uncertain after bad loss to Falcons


ESPN.com news services


Steve Mariucci remains the Detroit Lions' coach.

While Detroit media reported that the team might fire Mariucci the day after a 27-7 home loss to Atlanta on national television, a decision is not likely Friday, ESPN's John Clayton reported.

Team sources told Clayton that the Ford family, which owns the team, is in Florida. Players were in for an hour for routine film review, then were released until Monday.

One source close to the Lions situation (Tom Kowalski, I read the same thing at MLive) told ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli that the mood in the team offices on Friday morning was "absolutely business as usual," and another source insisted Mariucci's dismissal was "not imminent."

Mariucci and team president Matt Millen met, but not in an official situation, merely a regular day-after-game meeting.

"Nothing's happening today. Reports of a power confab are unfounded," a team public relations representative said.

Defensive coordinator Dick Jauron, who posted a 45-46 record as head coach of the Chicago Bears 1999-2003 and who would be the most likely candidate to take over as an interim head coach, has not been asked to do so. There is some question as to whether Jauron, who is very close to Mariucci, would even consider the interim position.

The Detroit Free Press and WJBK-TV in Detroit reported late Thursday that the Lions were in discussions that could lead to the firing of Mariucci as early as Friday. After two and a half disappointing years with Mariucci at the helm, the loss to the Falcons on Thanksgiving may have been the final straw.


"I don't know what's going to happen or anything like that, but nobody's stupid in here," offensive lineman Damien Woody told the Free Press. "People know that, hey, things didn't go right. It was a pretty bad loss on national television. We'll see what happens."



The Lions are 15-28 since 2003 under Mariucci, including a 4-7 record this year, a year that began with high hopes in the organization. Thursday's loss dropped Detroit 3½ games behind NFC North-leading Chicago, and 1½ behind second-place Minnesota.


"I take the responsibility, because I'm the head coach, and I should," Mariucci told the Free Press. "And that's what makes it a little bit frustrating, because where do you start? You identify where we need to be better, and there's a multitude of things."



Mariucci has two more seasons remaining on the five-year, $25 million contract that he signed in 2003, and is due $5.5 million for 2006 and $6 million for 2007.


ESPN.com

[Warham]

I've never seen them play worse on Thanksgiving than the last two years. Teams used to be scared to go into the stadium and play Detroit on Turkey Day. Not anymore.

[ALinChainz]

And I really thought Mooch was history.

It was impossible to watch.

[DrMaddVibe]

We were laughing our asses off at that game!

When the announcers stated that "it must be a practice thing"...I thought to myself and a coach thing, an owner thing, a talent thing, a skill thing...etc!

I should've TIVO'd that bitch!

I have to admit that I didn't see the big Harrington step up...his receivers dropped more balls than crack pipes but who really cares? They get paid...fans show up...everyone stays happy. No intensity from that team at all. A REAL leader would've grabbed facemasks and rattled some cages instead of the "C'mon guys we gotta play harder" bit we saw him do on the sidelines. He's a back-up QB at best.

Now that OTHER game...that was fuckin' STELLAR!

[ALinChainz]

Wrong offense ... wrong coach ... lots of talent ...

Over this season.

[Warham]

I can't believe that a guy like Kevin Jones only has 500 yards this year. Hell, I can't believe he HAS 500 yards!

Goddamn, this has got to be the poorest excuse for an offense I've ever seen. They're defense is about as good as it was during the 90's, but their offense is worse than Tampa Bay's was back in the early 90's. Dreadful.

Mariucci needs to be fired. Immediately.

[DrMaddVibe]

Fired?

He needs to be thrown into a smelting bin at a Rogue River facility!

[ALinChainz]

Lions | Jauron believed to take over
Mon, 28 Nov 2005 09:06:40 -0800

Jay Glazer, of FOXSports.com, reports it is believed Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Dick Jauron will take over as the team's interim head coach, replacing Steve Mariucci.


Lions | Mariucci fired
Mon, 28 Nov 2005 09:05:32 -0800

Jay Glazer, of FOXSports.com, reports the Detroit Lions have fired head coach Steve Mariucci. It was widely speculated Mariucci would be let go by the team following their embarrassing loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving Day. The team has dropped four of their last five games and Mariucci was 15-28 during his two-plus years with the Lions. He has two more seasons left on his five-year, $25 million contract.

http://www.kffl.com/hotw/

[DLR7884]

Millen should be fired, not Mariucci.

Nice drafting, you dumb fat fuck.

DLR7884
Mariucci will be coaching the Rams or Chiefs next year.

[Matt White]

Dumped in Detroit: Lions pin blame on Mariucci

By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer
November 28, 2005

DETROIT (AP) -- The disappointing Detroit Lions fired coach Steve Mariucci and some of his assistants on Monday, a team official told The Associated Press.

After Detroit lost 27-7 to the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving to fall to 4-7, reports swirled that the team was considering firing Mariucci. When Mariucci was not let go over the weekend, some thought his job was safe for the final five games of the regular season.

The Lions called an afternoon news conference that will feature team president Matt Millen.

Mariucci and the assistants were fired late Monday morning, said the team official, who spoke with the AP on the condition of anonymity because the team had not yet made the official announcement.

The Lions have lost four of five games since a solid start put them atop the NFC North with the Chicago Bears. The team has collapsed on and off the field with players failing to produce and some bickering with one another and questioning the coaches' game plans.

Mariucci's record with the Lions was 15-28. His hiring was hailed by fans and media alike, but he was not able to turn around a team that has won one playoff game since 1957.

Mariucci has more than two years remaining on the $25 million contract he signed in 2003. The Michigan native came to the Lions from San Francisco, where he was 60-43 over six seasons.

Mariucci was cut some slack in the past because the team he inherited was crafted by Millen, but expectations were high heading into his third season.

"I think we need to (make the playoffs). We want to, and we're going to make it happen," Mariucci said before the season. "If we win 10 or 11 ballgames and make the playoffs, it would make us happy and make the fans happy."

Millen hired both Mariucci and his predecessor, Marty Mornhinweg, and drafted or signed most of the players currently on the Lions -- and Detroit is an NFL-worst 20-55 since 2001. Millen, a former NFL linebacker and TV analyst was given a five-year extension before this season.



Could they possibly find a Coach & a system that will finally let me say somebody OTHER than WAYNE FONTES could will with the LIONS...IN MY LIFETIME?!?!

[Warham]

I liked Wayne Fontes! I still think they were wrong to fire him.