Detroit Lions: A Classy Organization

The Detroit Lions started the year off great in 2007, but it was all downhill from there. They started 6-2 and finished 7-9. Everyone was excited about next season and what the Lions could do.

They had a good draft, selecting Kevin Smith to support John Kitna. The defence was the worry for 2008, but the Detroit Lions surprised everyone by going 4-0 in the preseason.

Everyone started to say the Lions would return to the playoffs for the first time since 2000. But everyone forgot that preseason doesn't matter. The Lions started the season off and everyone said it had just been a couple of bad weeks, they would rebound and win the weak north division.

Then, finally, Matt Millen was fired. The city of Detroit saw this as the turning point in the season. Matt Millen has really torn apart this franchise. All three of the wide receives that were selected it the draft are no longer with the team and two are out of football.

He screwed up with the selection of Joey Harrington in 2003. He turned a playoff team to the laughing sock of the NFL.

The Lions do have players that can get the job done, starting with Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith. On the defence, they have to get a better secondary to stop the passing game. The main thing the Lions have to do is get a franchise quarterback, who can start in the his first year.

It won't be hard to find, Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan showed us that starting in your first year can lead to the playoffs.

The Lions have shown some strong signs this season, starting with being a team. They don't point fingers and they support each other. You have heard noise in every locker room in the NFL. The Lions have shown you don't have to win to be have a good locker room.

Rod Marinelli has handled himself great this season, and if I were the owner, I would keep him. But that won't happen. The Lions want change and so does the city of Detroit.

The change will come, but the winning won't start next season and probably the year after too. The Lions will eventually be a team to talk about, and not for bad reasons like going 0-16. Let's root for the Lions to win this week and not let a classy team be the laughing stock of the NFL.