This is my favorite time of the year...when I get anxious to send out my first football e-mail to a group of buddies who took my money last year, after having me take it from them the year before (who knows what this season will bring?); when the optimism surrounding Detroit Lions training camp is almost worth buying into (I know I shouldn't say this, because I say it every year, but...they could really be on to something this year!); and when you just never know which team will emerge, Saints-like, and be the big surprise of the league.
As the pre-pre-season gets underway, here are a few early thoughts that have been rolling around in my head as I wait for the kickoff of the regular season:
- Go Lions!!
- I realize that Joe Thomas is supposed to be the greatest thing to come out of college since sliced bread (which earned an MFA in yeast at High-Rise University), and I'm happy for the whole Wisconsin-boy-makes-good story, but more than FORTY-TWO million over five years?? With 22 or 23 million guaranteed? Two words...Tony. Mandarich.
- Joey Harrington just can't seem to find a clipboard to hold anywhere these days. After being shown the door in Detroit, he went to Miami where he expected to back up Daunte Culpepper. Instead...he started 11 games, performing well in about two and a half quarters of those games. Sent packing again, he signed with Atlanta, securing a position on the sidelines behind Michael Vick. (has anyone heard anything about him these days?) With Vick appearing to have other plans for about the next, oh, six years or so...Harrington once again finds himself a starter.
- Uhh...Go Lions!!
- Randy Moss will have a spectacular season, and will catch many, many touchdowns. Terrell Owens will be boorish, obnoxious, attention-starved, and will be outplayed by teammate Terry Glenn. (A couple of the football magazines I paged through have the Cowboys pegged as the runner-up in the Super Bowl. Am I missing something? With Wade Phillips as coach??)
- In an attempt to instill more confidence in the locker room, Lions signal-caller Jon Kitna has been spouting to the media that his team will win 10-plus games this season. And wide receiver Mike Furrey is echoing those statements, saying "on paper, we should win 10, 11 games, easy." (Umm...you don't put on pads and helmets and cleats to go and play pro football games on paper, Mr. Furrey.) Kitna also has been throwing around a crazy number when asked about the potential of his wide receiving corps this year, with Furrey, Roy Williams and draft-day stud, Calvin Johnson...saying he might throw 50 touchdowns this season. (Peyton Manning's single-sesaon record is 49. Last I checked, Jon Kitna is no Peyton Manning.)
- So...Go Lions! Yeah, go away from all those microphones and stop talking like fuckin' idiots, and concentrate instead on a nice, respectable 9-7 record, which just might get you into the playoffs in the NFC.
"The place where
optimism flourishes most
is in the lunatic asylum."
—Havelock Ellis
It's funny. As I was reading your initial words on Joe Thomas, my thoughts also ran towards the same two words: Tony Mandarich. Know this. Thomas is better than Mandarich, simply because Mandarich was so bad.
ReplyDeleteWhere's Calvin Johnson hiding?
For the first time in a long, long time, some pre-season "experts" are saying that the Lions MAY field a competitive team this year. And who knows, it may happen. As for Kitna's big mouth though... he should learn to keep his thoughts to himself. Prediciting that your team is going to go from four wins in one year to 11 wins the next isn't confidence. It just makes you look stupid. And who is John Kitna anyway? He's a 10-year veteran with only two good seasons under his belt.
I don't know. I'd rather have the Lions win than the Bears or the Vikings.
Their defense was 30th in the NFL last year. Did they do anything to improve on that?
Here's 18 more words that came to mind after Tony Mandarich (excluding words in parenthesis); Robert Gallery, Mike Williams (the Texas tackle, not your boy Vach), Leonard Davis, Kyle Turley, Lincoln Kennedy, Bob Whitfield, Charles McRae, Antone Davis (my personal favorite, cost us two number ones!!!) Richmond Webb.
ReplyDeleteNice point on Harrington, we all know what happened to Scott Mitchell and Diggidy Diggidy Doug Pederson once they had to put down the clip board and pick up a football. Joey has no luck but bad luck.
Obviously that publication is wrong since Dallas can't win the East nor make it to the Super Bowl...they're in the same division as the Eagles...Dahhhh!!!
I have three words and one hyphen as to where some of the Lions improvement on D will come from...Ikaika Alama-Francis
WAR McNabb staying healthy...for once!!
WAR, Hey Andy, RUN THE FREAK'N BALL!!
WAR Bloom returning 3 for TD's this year!!
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On a completely different note Vach, did you see who's playing in Madison on Thursday 10/4??? Hmmmm?
I don't know a whole lot about football, Burt, so correct me if I'm wrong...but I'm pretty sure Mandarich was just as closely associated with sliced breadedness coming out of college as Joe Thomas is today. Mandarich was an awful pro, but was a consensus stud heading into the draft.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not saying this because I hope for bad things for Thomas. I don't. I was just floored by the cash they're paying a rookie lineman.
As far as the Lions defense, I'll take TheKid's word on that guy from Hawaii being something of a bright spot, cuz he's talked about him several times. They also got rid of Dre' Bly. (I don't know if that's good or bad, but from the way Bly's been shooting his mouth off...good riddance.)
Calvin Johnson, unfortunately, is playing the prima donna holdout role to perfection, although "both sides are making headway." (How often do you hear that in contract talks?) He'll get there, and he'll be an impact player as soon as he takes the field.
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TheKid, it took me one click to find out who's playing in Madison. Which means...I'll be in Madison!
And I hope for your sake McNabb stays healthy. Now that The Tuna's gone from Dallas, I don't much care what happens to them. In fact, I hope they finish behind the frickin' Redskins!
I think I made a mistake. The Lions won three games last year, not four.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Tony Mandarich was the entire loaf of bread. He was hyped up to the stratosphere. Today, some in the media take all the credit for hyping him up to that degree. And they chuckle about it. Whatever. What a bunch of worms. Truth is, EVERYONE thought he was the best offensive lineman ever. The media didn't report anything more than what was commonly believed.
No regrets though. Seven years later, the Packers won the Super Bowl - without Mandarich, and without Barry Sanders. So it all worked out.
I have no idea of what you just said. All I know as an ex-Detroiter, I get that you want the Lions to win. Otherwise, don't really need the football season. I'd go for a nice shopping season, one full with unlimited credit cards, woman tackling each other for the last Coach purse on SALE! But hey it's your Blog!
ReplyDeletecodadiva
*ahem*
ReplyDeleteAre you telling me, Ms. Diva, that you'd rather go shopping for purses than spend a Sunday watching that week's football drama unfold?
Sheesh.
Yep, I've got my blog. You've got yours.
Happy shopping! :O)