Detroit Lions Blogs

Are you exhausted yet? There was TOO MUCH DRAMA! (That’s a lie. There’s never too much.) Both nights of Wildcard weekend ended in tremendous excitement, wrapping up with a dramatic overtime ending that didn’t even warrant explanation of the new rules. I’m still appalled. Let’s just get The Final Drive started.

Continue reading "The Final Drive: 2012 Wildcard Weekend"

It’s time. Time for the select few to battle out for the most coveted prize in the NFL: the Lombardi Trophy. The playoffs begin today with the Wildcard round. I’m so excited I can’t even finish this introduction! Let’s just get right to these games, shall we?

Continue reading "Joe's 2012 Gameday Preview: Wildcard Saturday"

It was a Christmas Eve of meaningful NFL action as all the remaining playoff spots were nearly filled and draft orders are beginning to finalize. Miss any of the action? No need to worry, because the Final Drive starts right now!

Continue reading "The Final Drive: Week 16, 2011"

Christmas Eve or not, there’s no way I’d let a schedule of great NFL action slip past my nets! The playoff positioning is settling in, but there’s some unresolved business in the NFC East with two pivotal games on Saturday. There’s plenty to talk about in week 16, so let’s get right to it!

Continue reading "The Opening Drive: Week 16, 2011"

I’m not sure what else you could have wanted from week 15 in the NFL. Two impressive streaks ended, the “Trap of the Week” proved to be true once again and one win never mattered as much as it did for Indianapolis. (And Candlestick Park was sans light… for a few second before auxiliary lighting come on. Not as much drama.) Many a-loser won on this day. Oddsmakers be damned! Get ready for The Final Drive!

Continue reading "The Final Drive: Week 15, 2011"

  

Week 15??? Really? Time goes by so fast! With the playoff races tight and Tebow versus Brady on the schedule, week 15 has everything you want. Let’s set-up for The Opening Drive!

Continue reading "The Opening Drive: Week 15, 2011"

It happens every year. Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, football and food comas. Unfortunately, you’ll want to pay attention to all three games today as they all feature teams with something to prove. It’s time for a breakdown of the holiday’s action!

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 Thanksgiving Day Preview"

There are plenty of close games to discuss from the week 11 slate, some with interesting consequences for the division races involved. The Final Drive. It’s on.

(7-3) Detroit Lions 49

Continue reading "The Final Drive: Week 11, 2011"

Well that was easy. The Chicago Bears wasted no time it laying the wood to the Detroit Lions, paying them back for the Monday night loss earlier in the season and notching their fourth win in a row. The Lions were sloppy with the ball on offense and committed costly penalties of which the Bears were more than happy to take advantage. It was a defensive demolishing from Lovie Smith’s crew, who went to man coverage and shut the Lions down.

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 Gameday Recap: Bears 37, Lions 13"

The Chicago Bears won their 4th straight game and saw Devin Hester return a punt 82 yards for a TD, and the defense pick off two Matthew Stafford passes for touchdowns, en route to a convincing Bears win.  The game was marred by a fight that broke out near the Lion sidelines when a D.J. Moore hit Matthew Stafford.  Afterwards there was a melee which was broken up by officials.  But lines will be levied.

Continue reading "Bears Smash Lions, 37-13"

Time for revenge! Following their ugly Monday night loss to the Lions in week five, the Bears have won three in a row and are nipping at the heels of Detroit in the NFC North standings. If the Bears win they’ll be tied with Detroit for second in the NFC North and in prime position for the first Wildcard slot come playoff time. Let’s break down this incredibly important contest.

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 Gameday Preview: Lions at Bears"

or the Detroit Lions it was a festival, a celebration, bring on the MARDI gRAS...Lions Fans were psyched to be in the line

f fire, as Bears went dwon to defeat, 23-14.  Bears had too many false starts, 9 in fact.  But this was a tough loss.

Continue reading "Bears Fall to 2-3 with Loss To Detroit"

After years of nearly inexplicable suckage, the Detroit Lions are on the verge of starting 5-0. In their way, Lovie Smith’s Chicago Bears, who are fighting to get back into the division hunt. Inconsistency has been the term du jour when describing these Bears, who finally got their running game going in week four… but managed to give up over 500 yards of offense to the Panthers. Can they put it all together tonight? Let’s break down the match-ups in this latest Gameday Preview.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday 2011 Preview: Bears at Lions"

The NFL loses another undefeated, leaving only two, but the real story is the utter failures in Dallas and Philly. Did you miss them? Don’t worry. The Final Drive has got your back.

(2-2) Cincinnati Bengals 23

Continue reading "The Final Drive: Week 4, 2011"

Back in the NFL saddle for week two action! We saw a few shocker squads jump to a 2-0 start while one QB continued his insane stat-racking. The Final Drive starts now!

(2-0) Detroit Lions 48

Continue reading "The Final Drive: Week 2, 2011"

Always a source of drama, the North collided in the NFC title game when the Packers overtook the Bears on route to their Super Bowl win. Can the Packers repeat as champs? Will Detroit finally take the next step forward? Can Donovan McNabb get the Vikings to the playoffs? This divisional preview is all Black and Blue!

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 NFL Season Preview: The NFC North"

For all those who tuned in to the Patriots-Lions game on Saturday, they saw a Pats team that looked very familiar.

Remember the pass defense that would get carved into ribbons? It was there as they gave up 272 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Detroit QB Matthew Stafford was 12-14 for 200 yards. One of the two incompletions was a drop.

Continue reading "Same Old Patriots"

The best stat from Thursday’s shredding of Tampa Bay is the Buccaneers out-gained New England 244 to 200. That’s total yards to rushing yards.

Once the Patriots stretched out the passing game, the ground game took over. By the end of the night the Pats gashed and slashed their way through a helpless T.B. defense. It was a thing of beauty.

Continue reading "Run Game Gaining a Lot of Ground"

Okay, now that we’ve had some time to digest the draft and some of the immediate ramifications, let’s delve into some of the teams I thought best took advantage of their selections. (Not winners and losers per se, since we can’t actually grade these drafts until three years or so elapse.) Still, what’s the NFL without some premature judging?

Continue reading "The Best and Worst Classes of the 2011 NFL Draft"

Day two of the NFL Draft is all tuckered out and ready for bed, just like my sister. Amidst Chris Berman idiocies and countless Jon Gruden “that guy’s,” I’m ready for a recap of rounds two and three. Here we go!

Continue reading "The Final Drive: The 2011 NFL Draft, ..."

With the Draft a few days away, I wanted to get my claims to idiocy behind me. After my AFC grades, I knew I was in for a bit of let-down with the opposing conference. All the surprises (both good and bad) were clustered in the NFC. So let’s get to the self-degradation!

Continue reading "How Much I Effed Up: The NFC Edition"

With the NFL regular season on its last legs, the playoff picture is coming into focus. Who stepped up in week 16 action and who fell flat? Let's start the Final Drive! 

(7-8) St. Louis Rams 25

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Final Drive: Week 16"

Drama! Week 15 saw one team return to dominance over a division opponent while an epic comeback was mounted at the Meadowlands. I've got your NFL recap right over here!

(8-6) Indianapolis Colts 34

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Final Drive: Week 15"

Week 14 in the NFL gave us upsets involving supposed Super Bowl contenders, plenty of blow-outs and even a failed extra point. I'm not going to talk about Favre, so go elsewhere for that story. Dude's old. Get over it. 

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Final Drive: Week 14"

The Chicago Bears won the 5th straight game in a see-saw contest over the Detroit Lions, 24-20.  Bears QB Jay Cutler was 21-26 with over 200 yards and a 4th quarter TD pass to star for the Bears.  The Bears had just enough to get by a stubborn Lions team that started Drew Stanton, the third string QB.  Chicago has a 9-3 record and holds a game lead over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North Division.

Continue reading "Bears 4th Quarter TD beats Lions, 24-20."

Well it was all too close, but the Chicago Bears pulled out a tough win over the division rival Lions at Ford Field to bring their record to 9-3, guaranteeing a winning record for 2010 and giving the Bears a five-game winning streak. Yep. I said all that.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Bears 24, Lions 20"

Do we all remember the last-second win-that-was for the Lions in week one? No? Good! Ruled correctly or not, the Lions lost the first meeting with the Bears and will be looking to derail their momentum heading down the stretch. Let’s break down this NFC North match-up.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Bears at Lions"

Thanksgiving. It’s a day of relaxing, stuffing your face and watching football. For me, it’s another Sunday during the NFL season, only with more people around. Before you chow down, I’m here to prepare you for the turkey day action… which might be the worst match-up’s I’ve ever seen on Thanksgiving, thanks to Dallas’ inadequacy.

Continue reading "Joe's Thanksgiving Day NFL Quickie"

 

“Hey there little Bill Belichick! How you doing? What can I get for you?”

 

“You said you want a safety? Well what kind of safety do you want? Do you want a pass coverage safety? Or do you want a big run-stuffing safety? Or how about four-down safety?”

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 12"

What a weekend of NFL action. The last win-less team finally came out on top and there were blow-outs galore. Most of them were unexpected, to say the least. Without wasting any more time, here's the Final Drive of week 10 in the NFL!

Continue reading "Joe's NFL Final Drive: Week 10"

The drama didn't stop in week nine in the NFL. One coach lost his job on Sunday, while another may have earned another week on the job. Here's the best and worst of week nine!

(6-2) Atlanta Falcons 27

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 9"

It's week nine in the NFL season. Teams are beginning to fall from contender to pretender while other squads are starting to fight for postseason slotting. Let's kick off the Opening Drive!

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 9"

 

Can anyone figure out this NFL season yet? The league's last undefeated team gets their biggest test, a winless team is is favored and the Jets' drama is actually overshadowed by their opponents'. NFL week four is on!

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 5"

 

Week four is here and with it comes bye weeks. Grr. Here are the storylines to look for this weekend.

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Opening Drive: Week 4"

 

Week three is here y'all! We have some great division games on the docket and a few 0-2 teams that desperately need to dig out of their hole. Here are the games to watch this Sunday!

Continue reading "Joe's NFL Opening Drive: Week 3"

Well that was fugly. Fans may say a win is a win, but I'm awfully concerned with the results of Sunday's 19-15 win over the Detroit Lions. For a team that completed dominated their opponents statistically, the Bears just barely found a way to win in the final two minutes. Oh yeah, and they almost gave that slim lead up to an offense that hadn't scored or even netted a first down since the second quarter.

Continue reading "Controversial call helps Bears squeeze ..."

It's finally upon us. The Chicago Bears are opening up their season on the lake front and are welcoming in the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Despite winning only two games last year (and none the year before) the Lions are slowly progressing towards respectability. A win in Chicago on Sunday would go a long way. Can the Bears fend them off in the windy city or will their preseason woes continue in the regular season?

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Detroit Lions ..."

Formerly known as the "Black and Blue" division, the NFC North is now the "Air and Space" division, with four legitimate quarterbacks and each team's ability (on paper anyway) to score bundles of points. Will Brett Favre and the Vikes repeat as division champs or will the Pack catch up with them?

Continue reading "Joe's NFL 2010 Season Preview: NFC North"

When CB Terrence Wheatley walked off the Gillette Stadium field last Thursday with a couple of trainers, it crossed my mind it would be for the last time as a Patriot for Wheatley. But his chance of sticking around went up with CB Leigh Bodden going down.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Preseason Four"

I write this an hour and a half before the big kickoff where England shall square off with Sloveia in what will be a crunch match for both sides. For Slovenia, it will be a game that will allow them a shot at making history by virtue of upsetting one international footballs most renowned albeit overhyped teams. They are certainly punching above their weight and therefore any result apart from a defeat would be deemed a triumph and a major leap for the nations footb all ambitions.

Continue reading "The Three Lions Awake"

Patriot fans know there are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and Bill Belichick will trade down during the draft.

 

It’s not just a pattern; it’s as reliable as the seasons, the sun rising, and celebrity controversies.

Continue reading "Fear of Falling"

How many years have we seen the Lions fall to the second or third worst team in the leauge in the last 20 years? 20 years that's how many but what if that changed this year. It will the Lions are maki

Continue reading "Lions Looking Up!"

Shopping for free agents in the NFL is not much different from shopping for groceries at the grocery store.  You must make your grocery list based on what you need, while keeping an eye out for great deals.  You want to avoid overpaying for something that you either don’t need or won’t be satisfied with.  You need to keep you eye out for dropping prices.  It is also essential that you stay away from flawed products that have disappointed in the past.  These are all keys to being a smart shopper in the NFL free agent market. 

Continue reading "Let's Go (Free Agent) Shopping!"

Okay, so I’m not reallyat the 28th annual NFL scouting combine but it sure feels like I am.  With the great live coverage of the event on NFL.com as well as the NFL network, I feel like a real pro scout.  I’ve also been very impressed with my ability to predict the unofficial 40 times of the athletes as they cross the finish line, but that is neither here nor there.  You want to know what can really be taken away from this year’s pre-draft extravaganza, don’t you?  Well let me give you my take on a few of the happenings over the last few days. 

Continue reading "Observations from the Combie"

The Chicago Bears defeated the Detroit Lions 37-23 last Sunday to finish up at 7-9.  The win most likely saves head coach Lovie Smith's job.  QB Jay Cutler threw for four TD's looking like the QB fans thought he would be.  Devin Aramashado scored twice on passes.  He should be a featured wide receiver, not Devin Hester.  Hester is a valuable player and should be retured to his best position, running back kickoffs and punts.

Continue reading "Bears End Season on Winning Note"

 With both teams out of the playoffs and nursing plenty of injuries, today's NFC North meeting between the Bears and Lions won't be aesthetically pleasing. Regardless, I'll tell you what to watch for at Ford Field. Get your Gameday Preview on! (6-9) Chicago Bears at(2-13) Detroit Lions The Lions won't have first overall pick Matthew Stafford on the field after his recent knee surgery, so Daunte Culpepper will start under center. He's nowhere near the talent he used to be, but he will be fired up and looking to impress the other 31 teams in the league. Without a consistent running game though, he'll have a hard time fooling the Bears' defense. (I hope anyway.) Marred by injuries (Charles Tillman and Israel Idonije out, Danieal Manning doubtful), Lovie Smith's defense will need to fill their gaps and avoid giving up big plays. If they can, it shouldn't be difficult keeping the lowly Lions under 17 points. Calvin Johnson will get 100 yards in receiving today. Take that to the bank. That should be more than low enough. Jay Cutler and the offense should have no trouble tearing apart the second-worst defense (worst pass defense) in the NFL. Matt Forte should get a ton of carries and a rare 100-yard game to end the regular season. Johnny Knox is doubtful with his ankle injury from last week, but Devin Hester will return to the field in his absence. Devin Aromashodu is going to see plenty of balls his way in the season finale. Odds: Chicago is favored by 3.5 on the road.  Prediction: The Bears

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Chicago Bears ..."

The 2009 Heisman Trophy will be awarded to the most outstanding NCAA college football player by the Downtown Athletic Club at an annual ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in New York City on December 12. 

Continue reading "Heisman Winners Who Couldn't Hack The NFL"

After three quarters of a boring contest, we finally got some action late in Thursday's Miami v. Carolina game. To anyone who had Ricky Williams on their fantasy team, good job. Now, we look to the weekend in the week 11 edition of the Oepning Drive!

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 11"

BAILOUT the Redskins! Such is the state of things in Washington DC. Like most of the stocks traded on Wall Street, there are many assets that have no real value but continue to produce millions for its shareholders and owners. The Redskins are just like the stock market, look great on paper and generate millions to the owner but filled with high price, former blue chip stocks that have no real value when put to the test. This team is worse than bad, they are horrible and with no young, up-and-coming players to pin our hopes on, no star QB in the making, no player ready to bust out, if there was ever a time to blow the whole thing up it is definitely now!

Continue reading "The Washington Redskins - a perfect ..."

It was unimpressive statistically, but Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears dominated the Detroit Lions in the second half en route to a 48-24 win on Sunday. 

Even though Detroit’s offense ran 76 plays compared to Chicago’s 50 and racked up nearly 400 yards, it wasn’t enough to overcome losing the field position battle. All of the Lions’ 13 drives started from within their own 30-yard line. Out of the Bears 13 drives, only three started behind the 30. With that kind of field position, Jay Cutler didn’t have to throw for 300 yards to get the victory.  

Continue reading "Bears Demolish Lions in Second Half of Blowout Win"

 

One thing is for sure going into this Sunday’s match-up at Solider Field: these aren’t the 2008 Lions. Know how I know that? The 2009 Lions have won a game. It happened just last weekend against the Redskins. Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz is hoping to turn it into a streak, with the Chicago Bears playing their second victim.  

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Lions at Bears"

Tuesday evening hangover…

Here are some of my astute observations from the Cowboys’ Monday night victory against the Panthers:

     1. The Cowboys played a very gritty game.

Continue reading "Tuesday Evening Hangover: Dallas ..."

The Chicago Bears don't know how to win the easy way.  Apparently, that is not in their DNA, or at least until Buddy Ryan led the "46" defense.  However, this season they have Jay Cutler who threw a late TD pass to converted receiver Devin Hester for 36 yards and the winning touchdown.  And, the Bears defense held off Seneca Wallace and the Seahawks to win and go 2-1 for the young season. 

Continue reading "Bears Beat Seattle 25-19 on late Cutler TD Pass"

Plenty of drama in a weekend that saw one team break a 19-game losing streak and another keep their undefeated streak going. Let’s start the Final Drive of week 3! 

(1-2) Detroit Lions 19 (1-2) Washington Redskins 14 

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 3"

He’s close. You know it. He knows it. And it’s frustrating Tom Brady to no end to being just a little off. Brady had a handful of overthrows or didn’t put the ball in exactly the right spot. It should come back to him in time, but for now Brady will beat himself up until the touch returns.

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 3"

 

In week three, two early unbeatens face off at the Metrodome while numerous 0-2 teams try to avoid the near-insurmountable playoff climb out of the 0-3 hole. Let’s get started with this week’s Opening Drive!

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 3"

Frankly, I never liked her much to begin with. Last night, though, Serena Williams' boorish display put her on that rare pedestal with the king of self-delusion, Roger Clemens, as far as sheer idiocy and misplaced machismo is concerned. Williams may or may not have foot-vaulted during match point of her semi-final match against Kim Clijsters yesterday at the U.S. Open. What should be un-debatable is that her obscene and ridiculous death threat directed toward the unsuspecting lines-woman following the questionable call was the most gross and uncalled for display by a professional athlete this year. Please, don't twist this into some skewed positive, claiming that Serena showed us her true passion for the game last night. This was a terrible event in front of thousands of spectators and millions watching from home. Really ugly. 

Continue reading "Serena Out of Control"

Suicide Pick.

The Lions travel to the big Easy. Saints have high hope this year after Drew Brees awesome season last year. One more Touchdown drie and he would of had a new record. Now to the Contest. The Lions have won outright the last 2 times they where dogs against the Saints. The under is 8-2 last 10 times these teams meet.

Continue reading "Week 1 NFL Season!!!!!!! Sweet!"

Now that the preseason is over, let the countdown to the real games begin.

The Dallas Cowboys open their 2009 NFL season on the road Sunday, 12 noon, in Tampa, Florida.
The Cowboys’ organization improved the team’s chances of finishing the season stronger by the decisions they made during the off season.

Continue reading "Dallas Cowboys "Reel" 09 Season Begins Sunday"

     Was it Halloween or Mardi Gras last Thursday night? Guys dressed like football players displaying Arena League talent tortured Saints fans worse than a Abu Grab sleepover. Preseason finales produce yawning spells throughout entire stadiums, while TV viewers simply flip to the Food Network. Big Daddy knows that football squads become cohesive units when coaches drill every offensive play and defensive scheme into players’ heads. Practicing each playbook entry until everything runs smoother than James Bond operating in a singles bar. This week’s

Continue reading "Big Daddy Says Lets Get It On:"

 

Pre-season predictions are probably one of my favorite things about the NFL off-season.  I love this time so much because it absolutely validates my opinions of specific football analyst as well as football analysis as a whole.  I mean seriously, has anyone listened to Mark Schlereth talk football.  I’ll credit him on being a handsome and well spoken former football player, but he is no analyst.  Same goes for “Dat Dude” Marcellus Wiley.  I know he went to an Ivy League school, but I’m starting to seriously question this guy’s football intelligence.  But I am digressing.  Pre-season predictions are great because nearly everyone is wrong at the end of the season (not just Mark and Marc…that would be a great show huh?).  There might be one or two people that actually predict the outcome of the Super Bowl, but to try and anticipate what will happen at the top end of the National Football League is nearly impossible.  Notice I say “top end” because there are some teams that are guaranteed to be at the bottom of the food chain: Lions, Raiders, Rams, Bills, Chiefs, Broncos, Buccaneers, etc.  But, predicting who will make the playoffs and who will ultimately win the Super Bowl is about as close to a crapshoot as you can get in professional sports.  This is why I like that the Dallas Cowboys are ranked no higher than 15th on any major power rankings. 

Continue reading "The Toughest Season"

Well, the Brett Favre saga appears to be over… for now. 

The routinely flip-flopping quarterback informed ESPN’s Ed Werder of his decision to stay retired  after telling Brad Childress of the Minnesota Vikings.  Favre explained that he was unsure of his body’s ability to withstand another grueling NFL season and the training camp and preseason schedule that accompany it.  

Continue reading "Brett Favre to Stay Retired"

 

  There's a saying about every sport that goes "Love the game first, the league second, your team third, and the players last". This saying poignantly displays that all fans are interconnected by their love for the game, no matter which team they support. I'm going to identify 3 teams that every NFL fan should be rooting for this season (of course unless they face your favorite team) and 3 you should be rooting against (unless they are your hometown team).

Continue reading "3 NFL teams to love (and 3 to hate!) this season"

*revised

May 1st, 2009

The Detroit Tigers will:

• win the Central Devision

• record = 92-70

• loose to the Red Sox in the ALCS

Continue reading "AARWICH – PRIDICTIONS *REVISED July 14th, 2009"

The Thoroughbred Times is reporting Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Darley USA has purchased leading 2nd crop sire Medaglia d'Oro, not only for his sire power in top 3 year old Rachel Al

Continue reading "Medaglia d'Oro sold"

As OTA's and minicamps progress while training camp begin to roll over the horizon, America's favorite sport nears its regular season.  While nobody knows how well teams will do in a season with the randomness of injuries and several other factors, it's always interesting to look ahead at the schedule and prognosticate.  Unlike most people, I'm not going to give just a win or loss for each game, rather I'm going to predict how many times the Steelers would win if they played a team 10 times.  For instance if the Steelers were playing a very crappy team, I would say 9/10 or 10/10.  At the end i will add up the wins and divide by 10, giving us how many wins they will have this season.

Continue reading "Steelers Game By Game Preview of ..."

First let me say I'm a huge Jr. fan, I loved watching his dad race, and I think he carries on that legacy flawlessly.  After Dale Earnhardt Sr. passed on to that big oval track in the sky, I wondered even doubted that his son could carry on the buccaneer like racing style his father perfected.  Since then, I've become a loyal follower, Dale Jr has without doubt proved to me and millions of other fans that he is all the man his father was and maybe even more.  But I have to wonder what is going on with missing the pit box.  It seems to be becoming a repetitive issue.  And I just wonder if maybe his vision is slipping a little.  Now, I'm not a stalker/fan so I really have no idea if he wears glasses or is color blind.  So if he does or is please feel free to correct me.  Now I know, its gotta be confusing pulling into the pits, with people racing in and out, but pitting should be second nature to a NASCAR driver.  He's just to good of a racer to make mistakes like that.  Who knows maybe he's got some outside distractions influencing him a bit.  Whatever the case may be, I have faith in his abilities and look forward to following what I'm sure will be a long and illustrious career, filled with action and his daring racing style that kindled my love for the sport long ago.  Good Luck at Talladega you Son of Gun.

Continue reading "NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. May ..."

So there is barely any news on the Chicago front. After waiting over five hours to make their only pick of the day at number 17 in the second round (49th overall), the Chicago Bears made a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. The Bears sent their 2nd round selection to Seattle and received the Seahawks’ 3rd round (68th overall) and 4th round (105th) choices, both of which will be on Sunday.

Continue reading "NFL Draft Day One: Bears Trade Down ..."

 Matthew Stafford Will Exorcise "The Curse of Bobby Layne"

The 2009 NFL Draft will transpire this weekend at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and fans in Detroit are imploring the Lions organization to select former University of Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first pick to finally exorcise the “Curse of Bobby Layne."

Continue reading "Matthew Stafford Will Exorcise "The ..."

I recently read an article in ESPN the Magazine about "Home Town Discounts" in which GM's believe they are getting discounts on players who have become mainstays in their respective franchises because the player would rather stay than leave and uproot their family even if (god forbid) they are paid a couple million dollars less. (thank you Matt Birk). Here's my thought: If you are an NFL player making millions of dollars a year wouldn't you want to go to the most competitive team possible? Teams such as the Steelers are mentioned in the article stating that they should be able to get better players for less money because they won the Super Bowl and players have the chance to be apart of a dynasty.  This makes sense.  What does

Continue reading "Home Town Discount?"

And with the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select…

A) Matthew Stafford, QB, UGA

B) Eugene Monroe, OT, UVA

C) Aaron Curry, LB, WF

D)  Jason Smith, OT, BAY

Continue reading "And with the first pick in the 2009 ..."

After reading Cleveland newspapers and watching Cleveland sports on STO for the last several weeks, there is nothing really new to report. However, this weekend is the NFL Combine, so there might be more to report. Anyway, there are rumors and speculation.

Continue reading "Cleveland Browns: Mum is the Word"

As the draft approaches, it's obvious that the Patriots need an outside linebacker that can effectively rush the quarterback and maybe another cornerback to add to the competition between Ellis Hobbs, Jonathan Wilhite, and Terrence Wheatley. Finding the kind of LB that would fit in New England will be tougher this year.

Continue reading "A Difficult Search for Patriots-type Players"

...supposedly will feature a darker shade of Honolulu blue and a tweaking of the silhouette Lions logo.

why does every team see the need to go with dark blue, or black, or hunter green?

Continue reading "Detroit Lions' proposed new uniforms..."

Horse of the Year Azeri remained with present owners and was unsold at $4.4 million at Keeneland earlier this month. In foal and carrying a Ghostzapper filly she remains a beautifull mare. She's the only living female Horse of the Year and three time Eclipse award winner who we loved watching on the track.

Continue reading "Azeri no sales in Kentucky; Storm ..."

Wow after an 0-16 season finding a new coach for the lions will be like finding Bigfoot in NYC.  It's not gonna be easy but at least Matt Millen isn't helping this time.  The Lions are on the verge of a new begining and they need the right coach to start the process.  Rumors have it that they are looking into one of the Assistant head coaches of the cinderella story Miami Dolphins (Todd Bowles).  Also they have had a second interview with Titan's Jim Schwartz. 

Continue reading "Search for a new Coach Continues!!!"

Boy, we don't even get a chance to let the fact that the Patriots are out of the playoffs for the first time since 2002 soak in before the team is involved in off-season news.

On Monday, three teams fired their head coaches, with two of the head men out of work have Patriots ties. Rod Marinelli was canned after a 0-16 season with Detroit, snitch Eric Mangini was let go by the Jets for missing the playoffs two out of three years, and Cleveland had enough of Romeo Crennel after 40 losses in four seasons. Crennel and Mangini were both former defensive coordinators for the Patriots.

Continue reading "Wanna Trade, Cleveland?"

So, there's this Oakland County, Michigan law enforcement officer who's a professional acquaintance of mine. Nice guy, former Marine. Definitely not a guy you'd want to mess with. "James" has a friend who works in the Detroit Lions front office. Here's what the friend told James: a few years ago, the Lions contacted Bill Parcells about coaching the Detroit Lions. After all, who better to resurrect the toothless Lions than the Big Tuna? After all, Parcells has won two Super Bowls as a coach, went to a third and very nearly took the New York Jets there.

Continue reading "How the Detroit Lions almost had Bill Parcells"

     After the Saints soiled Detroit’s White Christmas, Big Daddy enjoyed the soothing sounds of Motown awed by the artists’ talents and fashion sense. Too bad Lions’ players don’t have that smooth style. This week Big Daddy’s Saints Beat blog examines Bernard Madoff’s ethics, features the season’s final Kingpin update, recaps the Detroit game, covers the New Orleans Bowl, and releases his

Continue reading "Big Daddy Digs Motown’s Groove:"

Check out my last post which was used in ESPN.com's The Sports Guy's (or Bill Simmons) latest article! You can view his article by clicking this link.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/081219

Continue reading "Shankster Rankings follow up."

Dan Mullen, offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators recently announced that he would be leaving Florida at season’s end, if not sooner, to take the head coaching job at Mississippi State.  It is still unclear as to whether he’ll coach Florida in the upcoming national championship game.  It is also unclear what effect that will have on the Gators’ offensive game plan.

Continue reading "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: Mullen ..."

     Happy Holidays!!!!!

     To you and yours I hope that you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  

      As the NFL reaches the last quarter of the season, fantasy owners are positioning themselves for the playoffs. As the fantasy playoffs continue, quality free agent pick-ups could be the boost that your team needs to climb to the top of the mountain. So, as we do each week, we are providing fantasy football players with the best information in the most interesting format possible. So, enjoy your viewing of this video that is sure to bring you what you need and remind you of things that you want.

Continue reading "Fantasy Sportsgirl Video - Your Fantasy ..."

It isn't a good sign when two important wins for the Vikings this season have been two- and four-point victories against a winless team. Nonetheless, the Viks avoided the trap game and are 7-2 in their last nine games to move to 8-5 and have a one-game lead over Da Bears in the NFC North.

Continue reading "Another week, antother close Vikings' ..."

Well, anyone reading this blog likely watched Sunday's contest between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, so I'm not going to provide a summary.  Suffice it to say, though, that the Vikings got away with playing another terrible game yet walking out with a victory.

Continue reading "Vikings 20, Lions 16: Getting Away ..."

Hello everyone.

My name is Jon Haller and I am a Detroit Lions fan and I haven't had a drink since Sunday at about 4 pm.

Being on the verge of a giant goose egg in the win column and making history as one of the worst team in NFL history, my beloved Detroit Lions would drive any normal human being into an unhealthy addiction to alcohol or another illegal substance. But I say 'stay strong, fellow followers of inevitable ineptitude, our time will come'. With the firing of the biggest failure in our front office, the fog shrouding the path to glory seems to have lightened slightly as our horrid season comes to an end.

Continue reading "Intro: Jon"

Well, 

Hi...I'm new to this blog, figured I would have a lot to talk about when it comes to the Lions. I've been a Lions fan all my life, all 22 years of it.  The funny and pathetic thing is that my dad, who is actually native of Michigan has also been a Lions fan for all his life.  Unfortunately, in both our cases, we've seen little no signs of life out of this organization.  Its obvious that it has its problems, but why.  The city of Detroit is a great sports city.  Pistons, Red Wings, even the Tigers now are in the upper echelon of their respective sports.  Even the WNBA team is a perennial powerhouse.  So why not our beloved Lions?

Continue reading "Lions Lions Lions, WHY?"

An ugly win is still a win. Maybe Twin Cities fans are glad the game was blacked out — it was a second nerve-racking victory against the Lions.

The Vikings needed a reversal of a play that would’ve left the Lions first and goal; a strong performance by Tarvaris Jackson, subbing for the injured Gus Frerotte; and some strong defensive play in both halves.

Continue reading "Vikes survive, beat Lions"

A massive state of concern should be in all of our "purple" pride filled hearts!  Unless Pat William's attempt in U.S. District Court is successful we vikes fans lose the Williams wall for the remainder of the regular season.  I think all of us that think in a logical sense know without the Williams wall the Vikes goose is cooked.  Now, I am sure most of us also saw some of the interviews on the national media outlets today when Fred Evans, Ellis Wyms and another today pronounced they are capable and ready to fill in the gap.  How many of us realize the high caliber the Williams brothers play at and the drop off that is coming with the back up Purple Crew?  I would LOVE to believe that there won't be a drop off and we will continue to stop the run and be ranked @ 2nd in the league in that respect.  Then reality and logic sets in and I begin to say my prayers.  Also, we all must notice as well the ability of Kevin Jones of the Lions and realize without the William's wall and a significant amount of Lions mistakes (which is possible!), the Lions are definitely looking at Sunday's game & wanting to post a win.  If one looks at their schedule, the Vikes unfortunately show the best opportunity for them with the 16-12 score of the last meeting in Mn.  I will do my best as I am sure all Purple Pride faithful will, to keep the faith for our team and provide that support.  Lastly, the biggest miracle that can happen would be for A.P. to get off for around 300 yards against the Lions.  That would keep the defense off the field at least.  I welcome thoughts.....:o)

Continue reading "Williams Duo"

The 2008 NFL is one of the better ones in my memory. Certainly better than last year, and probably the best since 2001. The stories of bad teams rising to the occasion, a star quarterback coming back to play and another one missing the year, a backup who hasn't started since high school on his way to making millions via free agency, coaches being fired at a record pace, and a couple quarterbacks on their way to 5000 yards passing are just some of the stories to the NFL season. There seems to be another story that could be in the making when the season comes to a close. Currently there are 5 NFL teams with 2 wins or fewer and with just 5 games left in the season there is the possibility that a 5 teams could finish 2-14 or worse. The reason for the futility is a lot of things, bad play, injuries, or just plain bad. Here are the 5 best of the worst in the NFL and what the last part of the season could hold.

Continue reading "Some NFL Teams are Bad, Really Bad"

For those of you too busy with cooking dinner or crying babies to follow Thanksgiving’s slate of NFL action, I’m here with a quick recap. (You didn’t miss much.)

Tennessee Titans 47, Detroit Lions 10

Continue reading "Joey A's Thanksgiving Day Recap"

So it might not come down to this, but the Vikings (6-5 overall, 2-2 in the division) need to win on Sunday Night Football this weekend against the Bears (6-5, 3-1) to win the NFC North.

Yes, if they lose they will be a game back with four games to go; however, we would have lost both games to Da Bears and lose any tie-breaker, essentially being two games back with four to go. Throw in the fact that the Packer face a Carolina team that can be beat and the Vikings could fall to third in the division quickly (fortunately they can't drop to fourth--thank you Detroit). Green Bay is 3-1 in the divison, 5-6 overall.

Continue reading "Ball control key in Chicago/Minnesota ..."

Continue reading "Happy Thanksgiving"

Continue reading "Turkey Day and Football"

It's not just the turkey, or the stuffing, or the certain 8,000 calories one will consume that makes Thanksgiving a nation pastime in American homes. The NFL has been involved with Thanksgiving since it's earliest of days and has had both classic and controversial moments in league history. This year, a different type of history could be in the making and it continues on Thanksgiving. The Detroit Lions could be on the verge of having a winless season, Arizona could win their first division title in over 30 years, and the McNabb era could be coming to an end after 10+ years in Philadelphia. Ah yes, so grab those sweet potatoes, pull up a chair, and continue to stuff your face as the Annual Thanksgiving NFL Classic continues.

Continue reading "Want a Side of Football with that?"

Seasons Greetings!!!!

     I am giving you a gift in this holiday season. Over the next few weeks most of us will spend our time meeting and greeting, traveling and shopping, and stuffing and laughing - so I thought that I would share one of my favorite pastimes, ogling and drooling.

Continue reading "Giving Thanks!-Houston Texans Cheerleaders Video"

363-229 and 2-37-1 

No those numbers aren’t stats for how many runs the Tigers closers gave up the last two years and Rod Marinelli’s career record.  

 If you guessed the first is how many total games Michigan Football has won since Bo took over compared with Michigan State's total victories in that time span, you are pretty sharp. 

Continue reading "• MSU Football Start Extrapolating; ..."

     No one is saying it. The networks and big newspapers love to ignore the WAC, Mountain West, and others as if they were a conservative Republican with no charisma. In my area, for example, the Utah-BYU game was not even on television. A game between two top 20 teams was unavailable. A game that would determine one of the schools in the BCS this season was a no-show.

Continue reading "BCS Automatic Conference Qualifier Could Be Added"

     The BCS system, a playoff, the pre-BCS system, oh the debates! So lets turn the tables on the BCS minus the C.

     In this era of confusion, befuddlement, and Obama's "Spread the wealth around" mantra, I thought it would be fun to spread some myself. Since the major networks control political elections,the polls, and BCS process as well, let's turn the tables. So I offer an alternative BCS-the Broadcaster Championship Series. Let's see if they like a little of their own, poorly funded and can't get a necessary surgery for years, medicine.

Continue reading "BCS-Broadcaster Championship Series"

     The Coach Gary Kubiak watch is officially on in Houston. Sure, the Houston Texans lost a hard fought battle to the perennially good Indianapolis Colts. The problem, however sad it is, is not that they lost; but the way that Houston is going about their special brand of losing.

Continue reading "Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts-Gary ..."

I’m looking over Sunday’s games for week 11 of the NFL and I am slightly bored. Seriously, I am struggling to find a compelling storyline to follow.

I love the NFL and have for years, yet I hardly care about one single game that will be played tomorrow.

Continue reading "Planning A Long Nap On Sunday"