The Detroit Lions Have a Long Way To Go: Beer Thinker's Musings

Sunday's 26-0 loss to the Green Bay Packers showed just how bad the lack of talent there is on the Detroit Lions. 

True, they are more talented than last year's squad but the improvement is relative. 

Which brings forth a "chicken and the egg" type of question.

Is it the coach that makes the players or is it the players that make the coach?

The most recent coach the Lions have had have all been well respected. 

Rod Marinelli was lauded by Jon Gruden, Marty Mornhinweg has the respect of Andy Reid. Steve Mariucci was regarded as an offensive genius as well as a great motivator during his stint as head coach with the San Francisco 49ers and Bobby Ross had great success with San Diego.  Current head coach Jim Schwartz was coveted by Jeff Fisher as a defensive coordinator.

But despite all of this coaching talent the Lions have had since 1997, they have managed an awful 63-135, have had zero double digit win seasons while piling up double digit losing seasons and well on their way to their ninth in 12 years.

Makes one just shake your head and say, "what a waste."

And just what have the Lions wasted?

Nine years of Charlie Sander's tireless effort to do what it took to win games.

10 years of Alex Karras dedication and wit being a Detroit Lion defensive lineman.

10 years of Lem Barney's effortless coverage and his 56 career interceptions.

Four years of Billy Sim's take no prisoners running style and his career 4.5 yard per carry average.

10 years of Herman Moore's consistency and selflessness

10 years of Barry Sanders tireless and exhilarating runs that made him one of the best running backs ever to play the game.

I'm sure there are many other players that can be listed.  And each and every one of them made their coaches better.

So what has been lacking? 

The most glaring need has been a supporting cast to take the pressure off the star.  Perhaps the closest the Lions have ever had to a complete team was 1995 when Moore and Brett Perriman became the first wide receiver duo to have 100 catches each for a season.  This was also the year Barry Sanders ran for 1,500 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. 

That team reeled off seven wins in row to achieve a 10-6 record to make the playoffs as a wildcard.  Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Eagles pasted the Lions 58-37 to make for an early exit.

But who remembers the excitement the city had?  Who remembers the earth shattering screams from the fans in the Pontiac Silverdome?  Who remembers just for once, as a fan, having that feeling that this was a team of destiny?

The Lions have never, since Barry Sanders retired, found the ultimate balance between good coaching and a good, talented football squad.  Bobby Ross did wonders with what he had in 1999.  However, the Lions wasted whatever luck they had losing to the Redskins and they haven't even sniffed the playoffs since then.

Why doesn't William Clay Ford, Sr. step down and give the reigns to son, Bill, Jr?  One might say doing that will just endanger the franchise to another 50 years of mediocrity.  But at the very least, it just might energize the franchise.

Sell the team? 

That's one option though it may be difficult unless the new owners want to keep the team in Detroit.  Though Ford Field is owned by Detroit, the Ford Family paid $40 million for the naming rights and owns a controlling interest.  I'm sure a contingency would be in place to take over that controlling interest since the Ford family is not known to throw away money.

Besides, the NFL would be hard-pressed to allow the move.  Detroit is the 11th largest market.  The only city higher than Detroit that doesn't have an NFL franchise is Los Angeles but fan interest in having an NFL team is at best, ambivalent.  Besides, the most popular rumor floating out there is the San Diego Chargers will move to LA.

OK, so the point of all this is what?  For me, it's the fact that I am tired of speaking of the Lions great teams from the 1950s.

I'm tired of hoping the Lions are on the verge of turning the corner.

I'm tired of wondering how in God's name does Jeff Backus keep the starting left tackle job.  Makes you wonder if he's blackmailing someone in the Ford Family.

I'm tired of the Lions being doormats to the other teams in the NFL. 

I'm tired of other cities treating the Lions with disdain.  But really, how far off was Appleton Post-Crescent's Tim Froberg when he said the Lions were no match for the Packers in his column?  Cripes, the Lions can't even get respect from a third-rate newspaper from a town barley breaks 70,000 people!

But most of all, I'm tired of William Clay Ford, Sr. treating the Detroit Lions fans with such disdain.  He rarely takes any accountability of what his team produces.  He rarely interacts with the fans.  His hands-off approach to running this football team borders on insanity.  He keeps making the same mistakes over and over but expecting different results.

I'm not quite ready to call Martin Mayhew a bust as GM nor am I quite ready to call for head coach Jim Schwartz's head.

But I am ready to wave good bye to Backus, Daunte Culpepper and pretty much most of the defensive line.

And like all other Lions fans out there, I will wait for the Lions to improve.  I've been on this earth for over 50 years now.  I'm not going to hold out for the Lions to make the Super Bowl since I think that may be far-fetched for the next five or six years.  But I do hope to see them in the playoffs again.