Howdy to all of you in Lions Land,
I apologize it has been a few days since my last post. I have some thoughts on Coach Jim Schwartz’s picks for Offensive Coordinator and Defensive Coordinator and I want to give a few comments on both men.
Scott Linehan and Gunther Cunningham will be our OC and DC respectively. I am liking Jim Schwartz more and more. I believe he is a blue collar guy with blue collar values and that is a reflection of the team that he is putting together. Scott Linehan and Gunther Cunningham had some technical difficulties with being Head Coaches themselves but they have had good years as coordinators. They both bring a wealth of experience and unlike Jim Colletto and Joe Barry they were coordinators.
I do not believe there will be a huge emphasis on a passing offense but a stopping the run, running the ball philosophy which has worked for other teams. I believe we are heading in the right direction and so far the Lewand and Mayhew administration is reaching out to the Lions fan base by recently holding town hall meetings and the coaching hire along with the coordinators. Of course it seems like a million years until September and only then will we see the fruits of their labor. With our schedule coming which is a weaker one I do not see no reason why we cannot go 8-8 making it a goal to win half of the home games and the other half away along with winning our Thanksgiving game. Which by the way kudos to the front office by vowing to fight to keep that game in our schedule. I do not care one bit for these sports analyst hacks saying this game should be taken away from us. I believe their baby step approach is working thus far but much work still remains to be done.
Does anyone know why the lion is considered the King of the Jungle? In Africa where Lions are native they are the most ferocious and revered animal in the wild kingdom. A lion will tear your face off, eat it and ask for seconds. I think the scariest death in the world is knowing your some animals’ lunch.
A couple of weeks ago Bill Simonson on the Huge Show asked callers a question that if you ran into William Clay Ford Sr. at Meijer what would you say to him? Well my first question would have been why don’t you give the fans what they want a winning football team. So it got me thinking if I were owner what would I change about the organization? If I were King of the Jungle for our beloved Detroit Lions here is the list of things I would implement.
1. Hire a competent football guy as General Manager like Bill Parcells, Floyd Reese or Scott Pioli, giving them total control over coach hirings and player personnel.
2. Hire a personnel director/scout whose only job is to evaluate player talent and report directly to the GM on which players should be examined, interviewed and drafted.
3. Have a cheerleading squad. Most teams have them and are good to get the fans fired up along with mascot.
4. Host open tryouts for the fans to fill one position each year on the team think the movie ‘Invincible’.
5. Twice a year hold town hall meetings for season ticket holding fans at the beginning of the season and the end of the season. Taking fan responses into consideration and give straightforward honest answers on where team has gone, where it intends to go and how it is going about in getting there.
6. Fan appreciation games with a novelty such as bobble head giveaways or something of that nature.
7. A fan favorite novelty. The Steelers have the Terrible Towel; I would bring in something like the Terrible Claw, fan made claws that can tear a person’s throat out. Maybe not literally like that but you all get the idea.
8. Affordable ticket prices, EVERY game WILL BE SOLD OUT!
9. Push the league into giving the Lions a Monday Night or Sunday Night time slot.
10. Keep the fans actively involved in the off-season such as community service projects like building playgrounds and habitat for humanity with players participating. Keeping them informed.
11. Autograph signing schedules that are accessible and welcoming to the public along with selected open practices and opportunities for younger fans to be a Lions team member for the day.
12. Bring other players from other sports to games to show support like Red Wings, Pistons and Tigers players.
13. Have franchise players that fans are excited to see play, think of Barry Sanders that every fan can get behind and is the face of the franchise.
14. When someone purchases tickets they are automatically put on e-mail list. Keep fans up to date once a week with newsletter on events, player happenings, etc. I normally get the Lions e-newsletter but only during the season, fans need to be kept up to date.
15. Have Detroit Lions advertised on city buses that allow advertising.
16. A Christmas catalog with Lions merchandise for sale given at home games starting with Thanksgiving game and sent out to season ticket holders. Give discounts for fan loyalty such as buying tickets get 10% off on next order or something.
Those are just a few tid bits of what I would do if I were William Clay Ford Sr. and I was King of The Jungle. Well until next time GO LIONS!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Rebuilding From The Inside Out
Howdy All In Lions Land,
Hope. It is a word that is required to being a Lions fan. Hope for a better season but alas we have been saying that every season since 1957. During the election campaign we heard a lot of talk about hope and change. This is a time for hope and change for us Lions fans. I was very skeptical when Lewand and Mayhew were both promoted from their interim positions to President and General Manager respectively but like President Obama I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt.
I have to give high approval ratings to Martin Mayhew for the job he has done thus far. He got the Roy Williams trade resulting in 3 draft picks. He interviewed many candidates for the head coaching position leaving no stone unturned. He has picked a solid choice for Head Coach. He went to the East West Shrine game scouting talent. He has given Jim Schwartz free reign to pick his own staff. He is working on acquiring a personnel guy that has player evaluation experience.
Martin Mayhew has given us Lions fans hope. Yes he is a Millen guy but all through the bad decisions and hires I have to personally believe that he was privately seething over all of these bad decisions but had to be the Yes Man so that he could get the chance to turn this thing around. It is in their best interest to put together a winning franchise. Wouldn’t you want to be known as the one that took a joke of a franchise into a serious Super Bowl contender?
I have to believe they want a winning team. Aren’t they sick and tired of hearing from the entire sports world how bad they are? I believe they want to sincerely change this losing culture and so far they are on the right path. There is a still lot of work ahead. By the coming weekend we should know who the new Offensive Coordinator will be since Coach Schwartz has picked Gunther Cunningham as Defensive Coordinator.
I think this is a good season football coach that will work hard in a 4-3 or a 3-4 defensive scheme and that accursed Tampa 2 can go the way of the dinosaur. He will make this defense aggressive and rush the passer. We had next to nothing on sacks, getting to the quarterback, forcing turnovers and fumbles. That will change under Cunningham. One of the biggest decisions will be with the remaining 11 coaches on staff what to do with them? Keep some or get rid of them all? The inside track is that most will be gone but the biggest question will be what to do with Stan Kwan the Special Teams coach. He might be the only one worth keeping along with the Wide Receivers and Running Back coaches.
A couple of thoughts on the draft. I know I have not talked about it at all until this point but like the rebuilding phase I am taking baby steps and taking topics as they become relevant. The draft is in April and about a hundred things have to happen before the Lions coaching staff can look at which players to snag. The to do list is one fill the rest of the coaching vacancies with the offensive coordinator being at the top of the list, second get the personnel guy, third start evaluating our roster and determining which player will be cut and kept even before the draft because we have to know which positions are critical, fourth the evaluation process of the combine and fifth do tons of homework on strategizing other teams weaknesses and strengths to determine picking order for the draft with getting the best players available. Maybe not a hundred things to do but in the world of football that is a mountain to climb taking baby steps along the way.
I really cannot speculate on who and what position they should draft. A lot of factors need to be considered. If possible I believe they should trade down and see if another team wants the number one overall pick. If not then draft the strongest, fastest and most competent lineman that is out there. Whether it be Andre Smith from Alabama, Brian Orakpo from Texas or Rey Maualuga from USC. We need to anchor our defense and there are a few things that can happen. One is picking up DE Julius Peppers from the Panthers through free agency providing they don’t put a franchise tag on him and we wouldn’t have to surrender our draft picks, hope to God that Georgia QB Matthew Stafford and USC QB Mark Sanchez perform Tom Brady quality football and another team wants one of them providing one of them is the number one pick so that we can trade down and pick up an extra pick. I have real excitement over Ohio State’s LB James Laurinaitis, I believe the Lions should snag him if he is available with the 20th pick overall.
If you guys aren’t reading Tom ‘Killer’ Kowalski’s column on MLive.com you should. He has the inside scoop along with Brian VanOchten of the Grand Rapids Press. I know a lot of you are saying the same old Lions but there are some real positives that are happening. We can see the Arizona Cardinals historic run to the Super Bowl and that gives us fans encouraging news. Their situation was just as dysfunctional as ours and their drought in the playoffs were just as bad. No one gave them the benefit of the doubt. Just like the New York Giants last year. This can be a weird league and on any given Sunday the impossibilities can become the possibilities.
My next post I hope to have some information on Coach Schwartz’s staff picks and personnel director signing and some info on the coming Senior Bowl game.
Until next time, Go Lions!
Hope. It is a word that is required to being a Lions fan. Hope for a better season but alas we have been saying that every season since 1957. During the election campaign we heard a lot of talk about hope and change. This is a time for hope and change for us Lions fans. I was very skeptical when Lewand and Mayhew were both promoted from their interim positions to President and General Manager respectively but like President Obama I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt.
I have to give high approval ratings to Martin Mayhew for the job he has done thus far. He got the Roy Williams trade resulting in 3 draft picks. He interviewed many candidates for the head coaching position leaving no stone unturned. He has picked a solid choice for Head Coach. He went to the East West Shrine game scouting talent. He has given Jim Schwartz free reign to pick his own staff. He is working on acquiring a personnel guy that has player evaluation experience.
Martin Mayhew has given us Lions fans hope. Yes he is a Millen guy but all through the bad decisions and hires I have to personally believe that he was privately seething over all of these bad decisions but had to be the Yes Man so that he could get the chance to turn this thing around. It is in their best interest to put together a winning franchise. Wouldn’t you want to be known as the one that took a joke of a franchise into a serious Super Bowl contender?
I have to believe they want a winning team. Aren’t they sick and tired of hearing from the entire sports world how bad they are? I believe they want to sincerely change this losing culture and so far they are on the right path. There is a still lot of work ahead. By the coming weekend we should know who the new Offensive Coordinator will be since Coach Schwartz has picked Gunther Cunningham as Defensive Coordinator.
I think this is a good season football coach that will work hard in a 4-3 or a 3-4 defensive scheme and that accursed Tampa 2 can go the way of the dinosaur. He will make this defense aggressive and rush the passer. We had next to nothing on sacks, getting to the quarterback, forcing turnovers and fumbles. That will change under Cunningham. One of the biggest decisions will be with the remaining 11 coaches on staff what to do with them? Keep some or get rid of them all? The inside track is that most will be gone but the biggest question will be what to do with Stan Kwan the Special Teams coach. He might be the only one worth keeping along with the Wide Receivers and Running Back coaches.
A couple of thoughts on the draft. I know I have not talked about it at all until this point but like the rebuilding phase I am taking baby steps and taking topics as they become relevant. The draft is in April and about a hundred things have to happen before the Lions coaching staff can look at which players to snag. The to do list is one fill the rest of the coaching vacancies with the offensive coordinator being at the top of the list, second get the personnel guy, third start evaluating our roster and determining which player will be cut and kept even before the draft because we have to know which positions are critical, fourth the evaluation process of the combine and fifth do tons of homework on strategizing other teams weaknesses and strengths to determine picking order for the draft with getting the best players available. Maybe not a hundred things to do but in the world of football that is a mountain to climb taking baby steps along the way.
I really cannot speculate on who and what position they should draft. A lot of factors need to be considered. If possible I believe they should trade down and see if another team wants the number one overall pick. If not then draft the strongest, fastest and most competent lineman that is out there. Whether it be Andre Smith from Alabama, Brian Orakpo from Texas or Rey Maualuga from USC. We need to anchor our defense and there are a few things that can happen. One is picking up DE Julius Peppers from the Panthers through free agency providing they don’t put a franchise tag on him and we wouldn’t have to surrender our draft picks, hope to God that Georgia QB Matthew Stafford and USC QB Mark Sanchez perform Tom Brady quality football and another team wants one of them providing one of them is the number one pick so that we can trade down and pick up an extra pick. I have real excitement over Ohio State’s LB James Laurinaitis, I believe the Lions should snag him if he is available with the 20th pick overall.
If you guys aren’t reading Tom ‘Killer’ Kowalski’s column on MLive.com you should. He has the inside scoop along with Brian VanOchten of the Grand Rapids Press. I know a lot of you are saying the same old Lions but there are some real positives that are happening. We can see the Arizona Cardinals historic run to the Super Bowl and that gives us fans encouraging news. Their situation was just as dysfunctional as ours and their drought in the playoffs were just as bad. No one gave them the benefit of the doubt. Just like the New York Giants last year. This can be a weird league and on any given Sunday the impossibilities can become the possibilities.
My next post I hope to have some information on Coach Schwartz’s staff picks and personnel director signing and some info on the coming Senior Bowl game.
Until next time, Go Lions!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
May The Schwartz Be With You
A very excellent evening to all of you in Lions Land,
Before I begin with Jim Schwartz becoming our new head coach let me share with all of you a few things.
Every season the Lions host a kick-off luncheon that benefits Detroit area charitites which is admirable. This past aseason like the one before I attended with my good friend Darin. This luncheon is sort of a rally for the team, the coaches and last but not least, us hardcore fans. You eat lunch, the food is good not very filling and depending on your table assignment a player may sit at your table. I had WR Brandon Middleton at mine, a really great guy. This luncheon is about what to expect with the coming season, they give awards to players for most improved, etc., coaches give speeches and also to encourage the fans. Lots of optimism and hope abounded.
This hope and optimism encouraged me to host a Welcome Back NFL season party and (sorry the venue was small everyone the next one will be bigger) which some of you attended. We quickly saw the Lions get smashed 34-21 by the Atlanta Falcons, down 21-0 before we started to put points on the board. As the season progressed we saw loss after loss accumulating into our now infamous 0-16 season with thee worst defense in the league.
Hope and faith are requirements if your a Lions fan. If the Cardinals can go to the NFC Championship one game away from the Super Bowl so can we! When Matt Millen was fired and Martin Mayhew was interim General Manager and Tom Lewand was interim President, I was counting the weeks until this terrible season was over and a 0-16 season would finally force William Clay Ford's hand to actually put together a solid football team. Lions fans would have sold their first new born's soul for a Scott Pioli or a Floyd Reese to be GM. When Lewand and Mayhew were promoted from their interim titles, I like many of you felt betrayed, discouraged and felt there was no hope. The sweeping changes we were all hoping for never happened other than Rod Marinelli and that joke of a DC Joe Barry getting fired.
This brings me to the concept of hope. Titans Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz has agreed to a four year deal as head coach of the Lions. He was the leading candidate but I was worried when they interviewed Miami Assistant Coach Todd Bowles that we were going to get stuck with another Rod Marinelli. He would be the sacrificial lamb as to why the Lions are as bad as they are. His resume is a solid one. In a league where coordinators get fired all of the time he has been with Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher for 10 years and Coach Fisher has given Jim Schwartz a ringing endorsement.
Everyone will agree that the French Army had a better defense against the Germans during WWII then the Lions defense and Jim Schwartz will strengthen our defense. Jim Schwartz has talent scout experience, served as DC for one of the league's top defenses, is a brilliant tactitioner graduating second in his class at Georgetown with a degree in Economics. Bill Simonson of the Huge Show and Tom Killer Kowalsky like this hire. I love this hire.
One question has been answered but others remain. Who will he bring on as DC, OC and other assistants? Will any of the other coaches be retained? Which players will stay and shown the door? Will he have any say in personnel decisions? What will be his strategy in the April draft with us having the number one overall? Lots of questions but there is hope where there was none. I am willing to give Mayhew the benefit of the doubt. He is off to a good start with the Roy Williams trade and the hiring of Jim Schwartz as Head Coach. Tonight when we put our heads down on our pillows and go to sleep we can dream of a better future for our Lions instead of the nightmares that has plagued us.
May The Schwartz Be With You and GO LIONS!
Before I begin with Jim Schwartz becoming our new head coach let me share with all of you a few things.
Every season the Lions host a kick-off luncheon that benefits Detroit area charitites which is admirable. This past aseason like the one before I attended with my good friend Darin. This luncheon is sort of a rally for the team, the coaches and last but not least, us hardcore fans. You eat lunch, the food is good not very filling and depending on your table assignment a player may sit at your table. I had WR Brandon Middleton at mine, a really great guy. This luncheon is about what to expect with the coming season, they give awards to players for most improved, etc., coaches give speeches and also to encourage the fans. Lots of optimism and hope abounded.
This hope and optimism encouraged me to host a Welcome Back NFL season party and (sorry the venue was small everyone the next one will be bigger) which some of you attended. We quickly saw the Lions get smashed 34-21 by the Atlanta Falcons, down 21-0 before we started to put points on the board. As the season progressed we saw loss after loss accumulating into our now infamous 0-16 season with thee worst defense in the league.
Hope and faith are requirements if your a Lions fan. If the Cardinals can go to the NFC Championship one game away from the Super Bowl so can we! When Matt Millen was fired and Martin Mayhew was interim General Manager and Tom Lewand was interim President, I was counting the weeks until this terrible season was over and a 0-16 season would finally force William Clay Ford's hand to actually put together a solid football team. Lions fans would have sold their first new born's soul for a Scott Pioli or a Floyd Reese to be GM. When Lewand and Mayhew were promoted from their interim titles, I like many of you felt betrayed, discouraged and felt there was no hope. The sweeping changes we were all hoping for never happened other than Rod Marinelli and that joke of a DC Joe Barry getting fired.
This brings me to the concept of hope. Titans Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz has agreed to a four year deal as head coach of the Lions. He was the leading candidate but I was worried when they interviewed Miami Assistant Coach Todd Bowles that we were going to get stuck with another Rod Marinelli. He would be the sacrificial lamb as to why the Lions are as bad as they are. His resume is a solid one. In a league where coordinators get fired all of the time he has been with Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher for 10 years and Coach Fisher has given Jim Schwartz a ringing endorsement.
Everyone will agree that the French Army had a better defense against the Germans during WWII then the Lions defense and Jim Schwartz will strengthen our defense. Jim Schwartz has talent scout experience, served as DC for one of the league's top defenses, is a brilliant tactitioner graduating second in his class at Georgetown with a degree in Economics. Bill Simonson of the Huge Show and Tom Killer Kowalsky like this hire. I love this hire.
One question has been answered but others remain. Who will he bring on as DC, OC and other assistants? Will any of the other coaches be retained? Which players will stay and shown the door? Will he have any say in personnel decisions? What will be his strategy in the April draft with us having the number one overall? Lots of questions but there is hope where there was none. I am willing to give Mayhew the benefit of the doubt. He is off to a good start with the Roy Williams trade and the hiring of Jim Schwartz as Head Coach. Tonight when we put our heads down on our pillows and go to sleep we can dream of a better future for our Lions instead of the nightmares that has plagued us.
May The Schwartz Be With You and GO LIONS!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Lions Coaching Search Part II
A very good day to my fellow Lions fans,
Well my first blog on the Lions coaching search demanded a sequel so I am calling this blog entry Lions Coaching Search Part II. I know not very original but then again neither was the defensive play calling this past season. As of this posting the Lions have not decided on a coaching hire which is good because they need to be very thorough. The new coach will have to focus on the basic fundamentals of a strong defense that stops the run and a offense that can run the ball. The linemen have got to be bigger, they need to tackle and they need to stop the run. Most of the failures on defense came from big plays we gave up and those were from the run. Big plays that we gave up resulted in other teams putting points up on the board. I know that is stating the obvious but these games of being down 21-0 before we even attempt a comeback has got to stop! There is a fan poll on the Detroit Lions homepage that asks what background the new coach should have and it comes as no surprise that the fans by a whopping 81% want a defensive background.
Jim Schwartz who has done two interviews with the Lions stresses strong defense after his eight years of being the Titans Defensive Coordinator. I personally like Jim Schwartz because unlike our past few coaches, Jim Schwartz has experience as a talent scout with the Cleveland Browns. The Lions have also interviewed Miami Dolphins Assistant Coach Todd Bowles for a second time and my personal feeling is that he is another Rod Marinelli, a great guy-position coach not a head coach. The Lions are scheduled to interview San Diego Chargers Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera today and Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier on either Thursday or Friday.
Last blog I discussed some of the competition around the league. That got a lot easier when the Broncos named Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDainels head coach and when Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy retired they kept it in-house and hired Jim Caldwell as their new Head Coach. It is unsure if the St. Louis Rams are sticking with Jim Haslett, so your guess is as good as mine. The new threat that has emerged is with the Kansas City Chiefs announcing Patriots General Manager Scott Pioli will be their new GM. On a side note when I heard that announcement I felt like the guy who dated the girl who got away and is now getting a wedding invitation that she is marrying someone else. I know the Lions could have gotten him as GM but William Clay Ford Sr. wants Yes Men and that ruled him out.
What this now means is that Herm Edwards days are much like the dinosaur, numbered. Scott Pioli will appoint a new coach but the question will be when. This now makes the Chiefs coaching vacancy much more attractive to other candidates although I have heard Jim Schwartz would not be considered for that coaching vacancy. I would suspect that Scott Pioli would want to talk Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. A lot of the times when a potential coach interviews somewhere it is to make their own stock rise with another potential team. So being down to the Jets, Raiders, Chiefs and the Rams as competitors might seem a bit daunting but I believe we will get Schwartz especially if Frazier decides on the Rams.
There are good candidates out there and Lewand and Mayhew seem to be doing their homework. The question will be when it is exam time will this be another blanking out and totally missing the mark? Time will only tell. Like most of you I eagerly await the announcement which I thought could come at the end of this week but I am hearing that Rex Ryan of the Baltimore Ravens is a potential candidate and will have to wait until after this weekends AFC Championship game in order to talk to.
It can’t rain every day Lions fans and we will get our day in the sun. If the Cardinals can right their ship and host the NFC Championship game then that is hope we can claw onto. I hope to have another posting by the end of the weekend when more information is available.
Until next time GO LIONS!
Well my first blog on the Lions coaching search demanded a sequel so I am calling this blog entry Lions Coaching Search Part II. I know not very original but then again neither was the defensive play calling this past season. As of this posting the Lions have not decided on a coaching hire which is good because they need to be very thorough. The new coach will have to focus on the basic fundamentals of a strong defense that stops the run and a offense that can run the ball. The linemen have got to be bigger, they need to tackle and they need to stop the run. Most of the failures on defense came from big plays we gave up and those were from the run. Big plays that we gave up resulted in other teams putting points up on the board. I know that is stating the obvious but these games of being down 21-0 before we even attempt a comeback has got to stop! There is a fan poll on the Detroit Lions homepage that asks what background the new coach should have and it comes as no surprise that the fans by a whopping 81% want a defensive background.
Jim Schwartz who has done two interviews with the Lions stresses strong defense after his eight years of being the Titans Defensive Coordinator. I personally like Jim Schwartz because unlike our past few coaches, Jim Schwartz has experience as a talent scout with the Cleveland Browns. The Lions have also interviewed Miami Dolphins Assistant Coach Todd Bowles for a second time and my personal feeling is that he is another Rod Marinelli, a great guy-position coach not a head coach. The Lions are scheduled to interview San Diego Chargers Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera today and Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier on either Thursday or Friday.
Last blog I discussed some of the competition around the league. That got a lot easier when the Broncos named Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDainels head coach and when Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy retired they kept it in-house and hired Jim Caldwell as their new Head Coach. It is unsure if the St. Louis Rams are sticking with Jim Haslett, so your guess is as good as mine. The new threat that has emerged is with the Kansas City Chiefs announcing Patriots General Manager Scott Pioli will be their new GM. On a side note when I heard that announcement I felt like the guy who dated the girl who got away and is now getting a wedding invitation that she is marrying someone else. I know the Lions could have gotten him as GM but William Clay Ford Sr. wants Yes Men and that ruled him out.
What this now means is that Herm Edwards days are much like the dinosaur, numbered. Scott Pioli will appoint a new coach but the question will be when. This now makes the Chiefs coaching vacancy much more attractive to other candidates although I have heard Jim Schwartz would not be considered for that coaching vacancy. I would suspect that Scott Pioli would want to talk Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. A lot of the times when a potential coach interviews somewhere it is to make their own stock rise with another potential team. So being down to the Jets, Raiders, Chiefs and the Rams as competitors might seem a bit daunting but I believe we will get Schwartz especially if Frazier decides on the Rams.
There are good candidates out there and Lewand and Mayhew seem to be doing their homework. The question will be when it is exam time will this be another blanking out and totally missing the mark? Time will only tell. Like most of you I eagerly await the announcement which I thought could come at the end of this week but I am hearing that Rex Ryan of the Baltimore Ravens is a potential candidate and will have to wait until after this weekends AFC Championship game in order to talk to.
It can’t rain every day Lions fans and we will get our day in the sun. If the Cardinals can right their ship and host the NFC Championship game then that is hope we can claw onto. I hope to have another posting by the end of the weekend when more information is available.
Until next time GO LIONS!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Lions Coaching Search
Howdy to all of my fellow Lions fans out there :)
With this being my first Lions Blog posting I thought I would focus on the Detroit Lions head coach search.
As of this posting the Cleveland Browns have hired Eric Mangini as their head coach. Teams without head coaches are the Detroit Lions, the New York Jets and the Denver Broncos. Those three teams have vacancies based on the firings of Rod Marinelli, Eric Mangini and Mike Shanahan. The Rams are also looking for a head coach depending if they want to give their interim head coach Jim Haslett a go ahead. The San Francisco 49's are staying with Mike Singletary so with the competition getting thinner between teams the Lions are in a solid position to choose whichever candidate they would like.
The next hurdle we will face is who does the Jets choose as their head coach? This will be greatly determined on what will happen with their quarterback situation. The new head coach for the Jets even before he sits down in his chair in his new office will be "What is going on with Favre and do I need to bring on a new QB?" New York Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnulo is a candidate for the head coaching positions for both the Lions and Jets. If the Jets go with someone else then Spagnulo is available for serious consideration especially if the Giants lose this weekend. If they win they cannot talk to him again until after the NCF Championship game.
This is the same situation with Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz from the Tennessee Titans. We will have to wait until after this weekend and the AFC Championship game. The Lions have already met with him and the inside track is that he is our next head coach but still depends on a variety of factors. I strongly believe the next Lions coach will be one of these two men who is defense minded. This will be great for us since we were dead last in total defense this season.
The Lions should snag the coach they want without the Kansas City Chiefs factor. Their situation is with Herm Edwards being replaced once they hire a new GM. I feel the Oakland Raiders are not a serious contender for coaching candidates because any potential head coach WILL take Detroit over Oakland because of the mental instability of Al Davis and of course if they stay the course with their interim head coach Tom Cable.
So onto the Denver Broncos. They are talking to A LOT of potential candidates. This team is our biggest rival in a coaching search. They are meeting with Leslie Frazier the Defensive Coordinator from the Minnesota Vikings and have met with Assistant Head Coach Bowles from the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett. All of these coaches are also being considered by the Lions.
If the New York Jets go with now former Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski this virtually ensures the Lions just picking whomever is the best fit.
Well enough of me blogging. I hope you all enjoy my thoughts on potential outcomes for the new head coach. I welcome all of your comments :)
Kenny
With this being my first Lions Blog posting I thought I would focus on the Detroit Lions head coach search.
As of this posting the Cleveland Browns have hired Eric Mangini as their head coach. Teams without head coaches are the Detroit Lions, the New York Jets and the Denver Broncos. Those three teams have vacancies based on the firings of Rod Marinelli, Eric Mangini and Mike Shanahan. The Rams are also looking for a head coach depending if they want to give their interim head coach Jim Haslett a go ahead. The San Francisco 49's are staying with Mike Singletary so with the competition getting thinner between teams the Lions are in a solid position to choose whichever candidate they would like.
The next hurdle we will face is who does the Jets choose as their head coach? This will be greatly determined on what will happen with their quarterback situation. The new head coach for the Jets even before he sits down in his chair in his new office will be "What is going on with Favre and do I need to bring on a new QB?" New York Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnulo is a candidate for the head coaching positions for both the Lions and Jets. If the Jets go with someone else then Spagnulo is available for serious consideration especially if the Giants lose this weekend. If they win they cannot talk to him again until after the NCF Championship game.
This is the same situation with Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz from the Tennessee Titans. We will have to wait until after this weekend and the AFC Championship game. The Lions have already met with him and the inside track is that he is our next head coach but still depends on a variety of factors. I strongly believe the next Lions coach will be one of these two men who is defense minded. This will be great for us since we were dead last in total defense this season.
The Lions should snag the coach they want without the Kansas City Chiefs factor. Their situation is with Herm Edwards being replaced once they hire a new GM. I feel the Oakland Raiders are not a serious contender for coaching candidates because any potential head coach WILL take Detroit over Oakland because of the mental instability of Al Davis and of course if they stay the course with their interim head coach Tom Cable.
So onto the Denver Broncos. They are talking to A LOT of potential candidates. This team is our biggest rival in a coaching search. They are meeting with Leslie Frazier the Defensive Coordinator from the Minnesota Vikings and have met with Assistant Head Coach Bowles from the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett. All of these coaches are also being considered by the Lions.
If the New York Jets go with now former Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski this virtually ensures the Lions just picking whomever is the best fit.
Well enough of me blogging. I hope you all enjoy my thoughts on potential outcomes for the new head coach. I welcome all of your comments :)
Kenny
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