Detroit Lions: Fans Have a Right To Be Defensive

Hey all!

Back from a wonderful eight-day vacation in Las Cabos, Mexico.  Has to be one of the best places to unwind that I've ever been to!

I kept up a little bit with the CBA negotiations and I heard the latest is that both sides do want to go back to mediation but now the argument is to go with the mediator in New York that made the first attempt, which is what the owners want or start all over again with another one in Minnesota, which is what the players want.

Sheesh, this is getting really, really stupid and childish now.  Each side posturing on which sandbox to play in and the lawyers on both sides just keep charging $800 to $1,000 an hour.  What incentive do the lawyers have to get this issue resolved quickly?  Know that space between slim and none?  Look behind that.

Enough of that.  Let's talk about (in the off chance the CBA gets resolved and we actually have an NFL season) that certain chip we Lions fans are going to have in 2011.

We all had a great time during the last four games of 2010.  The Lions knocked off Green Bay 7-3, Tampa Bay 23-20, Miami 34-27 and the Vikings 20-13. 

But did the Lions get their props for A) ending the NFC North losing streak or B) ending their road-loss streak?  Outside of the Detroit area, no, not too much.

Many of the media shows, such as ESPN, NFL Network, Fox Sports and CBS Sports did state that the Lions have vastly improved over the last two years.  The job that Mayhew and Schwartz show evidence of that.

But what was remarkable was how fans of opposing teams viewed any win the Lions had last season—and even some of the close losses. 

For instance, the first Bears game (you know the one which I refer to now as "Processgate"), there were some Bears fans that had the audacity to come on to the Lions section of the Bleacher Report and state that the Bears "dominated" the Lions. 

How does a 19-14 win by the Bears show they dominated the Lions—if not for Processgate, it would have been a 21-19 win.  But luck (and the refs) were on the Bears side.

And of course, all the comments that came out during the four-game win streak.

"Packers would have won that game if Rodgers had played the second half."

"Only reason Lions won against the Bucs was because the Bucs secondary was decimated by injuries"

"Dolphins had no defense."

"Lions won because Favre wasn't in the game."

Please—any other team that would have put that win streak together would have been lauded and talked seriously about being a force in their respective division next year.

Well, from one Lions fan in the Northwest, let me tell the rest of the NFC North rival fans:  We are going to be that force next year—deal with it.

For the first time that I can recall in a very long time, the Lions can actually afford to be picky with their draft picks.  They can use the draft to bolster areas that need to or trade down to get multiple picks later on.

My hope is that they take Tyron Smith of USC to give Stafford the protection he needs as well as Casey Matthews from Oregon to bolster the linebacker corp.  Just those two picks alone puts the Lions in playoff contention.

What else is there left to say? 

Lookout NFL, the Lions are coming to get you!