Kaspers Korner

The Detroit Lions have been the laughing stock of the league for several years now.  Matt Millen may be gone, but the team will still be a train wreck with the current front office in place.

Cheif Operating Officer Tom Lewand took over when the Lions fired Millen.  However, the Lions are in no safer hands with the blow out loss to the Chicago Bears.

“Rod Marinelli is one of the best people, one of the best coaches I’ve been around, and you hear his message. You guys have heard it very consistently and very clearly over the time he’s been here, and he’s going to continue to do things right,” Lewand said as he was in attendance for head coach Rod Marinelli’s press conference.

The statement is completely laughable, since the Lions is the only pro football team he has ever worked with.  He has been with the Lions for 12 years, and before that wored various positions in law firms and the government.

To call a coach one of the best he has been around, with little experience on the football side of the organization is just completely stupid.  Does he really think he is fooling someone?  Does he think everyone is going to take him at his word, beacause he is the COO of the team?

Of course not.  This is the National Football League where lies run rampant every day.

Simply, the statement just goes to show it is time for a complete house cleaning.

The Detroit Lions are again one of the worst teams in football.  In an effort to find any help available they are now looking at bringing in former Seattle Seahawk Sean Alexander for a look at.

Along with Alexander the Lions brought in running back Cedric Benson for a visit.  However, that is not going to be the solution to their problems.

Their problem is that their defense stinks right now as it is second last in the league being ranked 31st.  That is a stat they deserve after trading pro bowl defensive lineman Sean Rodgers to the Cleveland Browns.

The funny thing is that starting quarterback Jon Kitna thought that the Lions would make the playoffs. Yeah right.

Head coach Rod Marinelli was a defensive linecoach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  So, to allow his defense to be bad is embarrassing.

In the end hopefully a miserable season by the Lions will get Marinelli, and general manager Matt Millen fired finally.

If it does not then who knows what will.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna gave another 10-6 record prediction for this cupcoming season.  Anything less than that could cost Kitna his job.

Along with Kitna Lions head coach Rod Marinelli, also believes that the Lions are a playoff contender.  That is contrary to what many fans believe.  

Many fans are have lost a lot of faith in the team.  It has gotten to the point that the team cut season tickets prices, but still could not sellout the exhibition opener.

The real question is how much of a loss in season tickets sales has to happen before Matt Millen is fired.

The Lions offense did not look that good last year, which is a huge dissapointment.  The reason being the the Lions took Calvin Johnson with the second overall pick last year.

In eleven season in the National Football league Kitna has only two season where he has thrown more touchdowns than interceptions.  Simply, it is not good enough to be successfull in this league.

If he cannot get it done with very good wide receivers, then he is never going to get it done.

Kitna better realize this, or starting this year he will be ridining the pine until he retires.

The Detroit Lions under the direction of Lions Cheif Executive Officer, and president, Matt Millen has been far from being decent.  Already, a recent draft pick is showing signs of being another bust.

Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus was taken by the Lions in this past draft, which was conducted in April.  Cherilus in July of last year, beat up somebody under the disguise of trying to break up a fight.

Since, Cherlius has been ordered to one year probation, and to pay $52 thousand dollars in medical expenses from the incident.  If Cherilus abides by the orders, and stays out of trouble, then the charges against him will be dismissed.

The Lions knew about the incident as it was reported July 6th, 2007.  That does not bode well for the teams judgement.

The Lions took Cherilus with the 17th pick in the first round.  At that position that is still a pick that has the possibility of starting right away.

What is even more mind boggling, to me that is, is why they would take Cherilus at that spot.  Knowing full well that he has come character issues. 

However, this is the National Football League, and will be for the foreseeable futre.  Teams will take these guys knowing full well of what they are bringing.  Why they still do that is simply, because the reward, and the upside, out weighs all the negatives.

Untill, draft picks are stripped from teams for players conduct this is the way it will be.

The Detroit Lions are a team that is a huge mess, and that being for a very good reason.  The reason is that front office employees do not give a care about even the fans.

In an email that was inadvertently sent a customer a Lions front office employee to another stated that their boss told him to “f**k him until next year.”  It is a glaring example of how the front office has no pulse for the city.

Lion fans for years now have been displaying their anger towards the organization.  Now, things should get to a even higher level with the email.

The one thing that should take an immediate hit is season tickey sales.  Sales have been not good, so the team created a partial seasom ticket to try and draw fans to games.  However, the opposite will not happen.

The only question is what will Lion fans do next?

It is no secret that the Detroit Lions always will be losers as long as Matt Millen is general manager.  Just as Millen is trying to repair his reputation another example of why the Lions will be losers under his direction.

In an article on MLive.com it has been revealed that wide receiver Calvin Johnson played most of last year with deep bone bruise in his back.  Johnson suffered the injury in the third game of the year against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Then-offensive coordinator Mike “Martz couldn’t stand the fact that I wasn’t practicing,” Johnson said. “When I first got hurt, that Wednesday I was out there in my sweats watching practice and he told me to go run. I said, ‘I can’t run.’ I couldn’t even walk fast. I was thinking, ‘Why are you telling me to run?’ ”

When I saw this paragraph on MLive I could not believe what I was reading.  That is probably one of the most stupid things to do.  He shoud of consulted the medical staff as to how much time he will need to rest.

“He stayed hurt because he kept landing on it,” Lions trainer Al Bellamy said. “It kept lingering.”

You think that at some point the staff, and the coaches, would tell Johnson to sit down, since it was not getting any better.  Usually, playing with injuries makes things worst for the rest of the body as the rest of the body compensates for the injury.  This usually leads to further injury.

The back is not something to mess with.  Johnson might now have problems the rest of his life, because of the Lions stupidity.  Once, a back starts to have problems that player will never be the same, and that just might happen now.

What the news really reveals is the ineptitude, and the lack of communication, within the organization.  Millen is ultimately the person responsible for hiring of the employees.  He is also responsible for everyone communicating with each other in the organization.

Still to this day Johnson is still feeling discomfort from the pain.  Bellamy stated that Johnson should be 100 percent by training camp.  However, do not be surprised if Johnson suffers from back spasms, and other back injuries the rest of his career.

The annual meetings in Florida always reveals something mind boggling to the media.  As it turns out that this years team is the Detroit Lions, and the news is not good at all for Lion fans.

Everyone in Detroit knows that general manager Matt Millen is a complete dunce when it comes to being a general manager.  It has now been revealed that Millen found his side kick in head coach Rod Marenelli.

Marenelli revealed monday the major needs of the Lions, which are defensive end, linebacker, offensive tackle and running back. 

“I felt, the first two years, there were so many in a day, I didn’t get a good feel for these guys,” Marinelli said. “When you bring in seven or eight a day, I don’t do as good a job for myself.” 

It is not a big thing to reveal the needs of the team, because by now people have figured out what each teams needs are.  Plus, you can change the rounds in which you will be addressing the need. 

However, it is completely different to reveal that you are cutting down on the number of players you are briging in to get a feel for the ones that you like.   This way you can be comfortable with the player you are taking, even if other are thinking you are taking him too high.

The main problem with this is now other teams know who the Lions like, and if there is another team behind them in the same round that wants the same guy in that round, will make a trade a jump before the Lions to take the player. 

It is stupid to say such a thing to the media.  Also, it is stupid to limit yourself to certain players, because your not always going to get what you want, and you have to have a backup plan.  With what they Marenelli stated they sound that they do not have one.

In the end their stupidity will cost them their job, but only when Bill Ford Jr.  takes them helm.  Thanks to him not commenting on how Millen has done everybody now knows that Ford Jr. does not like Millen.

Matt Millen is a marked man by the fans of the Detroit Lions.  One has to wonder how he keeps his job, especially now that the Lions cut former first round draft pick running back Kevin Jones.

 Jones was cut today by the Lions making him the latest first round pick of general manager Matt Millen to be a bust.  Of the nine first round draft picks they have made, since the 2000 NFL draft, only three of them still remain with the club.  Those being tackle Jeff backus from 2001, linebacker Ernie Simms from 2006, and wide receiver Calvin Johnson from last years draft.

It is astonishing that Millen has kept his job considering the high number of first round busts, and the Lions record.  Millen should be grateful toward the Ford family, because any other team would have poop canned him already.

So, what should the Lions fans do? The only choice they have is to boycott the games.  That is right not buy tickets, which may be hard for many fans, but considering that Millen still has his job it is fans only option.

The only real way to get a general manager fired after poor performance is to not buy the product.  Money is the life blood of any business, and without it no business can operate.

Unfortunately, luxury suite sales will deminish the impact of the boycott.  This factor will make any boycott much harder to pull of, but if the fans really wany Millen gone that bad they will do what it takes.

In the end you have to feel sorry for Lions fans.  After all fans only want to see their favorite team win, and with Millen at the helm of the Lions that may not happen for a long time if ever.

The Detroit Lions have revamed their secondary through free agency.  However, there are still too many holes at key positions to consider them a contender for the playoffs.

If the Lions are going to make the playoffs after the 2008 season then they need to fill holes at running back, middle linebacker, right tackle, and defensive end.

The biggest and most glaring need is running back.   As it stands the position is a mess.  They lost TJ Duckett to the Seattle Seahawks, Tatum Bell is a free ageny, and running backs Kevin Jones and Brian Calhoun are recovering from knee injuries.

Getting Tatum Bell to re-sign with the club is the obvious choice, but that is always easier said than done.  According to Nicholas Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press , “After not using Bell the last 11 games last year, they must keep recruiting him by saying things will be different without Martz.” In the end they will probably resign Bell, and take a running back in the first round of next months draft.

Offensive tackle is another glaring need as Greg Foster was a disaster accoring to Cotsonika.  The smart thing to do is to grab a tackle in the draft in the second round, since the draft is a very deep draft at tackles.

At defensive end they wil most likely fill the void within the team.  Head coach Rod Marinelli came taught the defensive line position, and stated that it takes a while for pass rushers to develop.  That is an obvious sign that they wil most likely stick with the guys they got.

Middle linebacker is the last major need for the Lions.  There is going to be no obvious or easy way to solve the problem at the position.  There are no obvious answers on the market, or within the club.

In the end the Lions have too many needs to be considered a ligitament playoff contender.

Most players have several years to play before they are called a bust or not.  However, that is not the case with Erie Times-News writer John Dudley, according to the Detroit Free press.

Dudley gave his take on who is the worst top ten draft pick, and that award goes to the Lions Calvin Johnson, becuase he ws hyped as a player that would have a huge impact right away.

The disturbing thing is that Johnson had a decent year with 48 catches, 756 yards, and four touchdowns.  Arizona Cardinal Larry Fitzgerald had 58 catches for 780 yards, and eight touchdowns.

The notion that Johnson is a bust is ridiculous.  Even Randy Moss went away down the stretch for the New England Patriots. 

The matter of the fact is that teams adjust their coverages.  Also, with the Lions playing the Chicago Bears, and the Green Bay Packers twice a year it is going to be difficult for any rookie to succeede in the NFC North.

Next year will be the year to watch, as Fizgerald in his second year had over 100 catches,  1,000 yards, and ten tds.  If Johnson does not match this feat then it would be safe to say he is a dissapointment.

Give a guy a break people.  After all the draft is getting more and mroe hyped by the year.  Nobody will be able to stop that, until there is a limits on how much bonus money rookies can get.

Rumours are running rampant that defensive tackle Shaun Rodgers is done in Detroit.  According to one reporters position that still will not be their biggest need.

Jon Machota is a freelance reporter for the Detroit Free Press.  Even with the departure of Rdogers he still thinks the cornerback postion is the most glaring position of need.

The main reason for Machota’s argument is, “Too many big plays were given up because the Lions lack talent in the secondary.”

“Even though the Tampa Two defense does not require a shut down style cornerback, the Lions need to address the position soon,” Machota went on to say.

The depature of Rodgers, and them being in a Tampa two defense is mind blowing when it comes to priorities.

The most vital position of any defense is the defensive tackle position.  No matter what the fans think of him the Lions need Rodgers.  For if they do not then their running defense will get the best of them next year.

At number 15 in this coming draft you cannot limit yourself.  This is an area where talent will slip, and a quality athlete will fall.

Unfortunately, many Lions fans will not know how much they will miss Rodgers, until they replace him.