- Shaun Hill should keep his finger taped even after it heals.
- Dominic Raiola contributes bad PR and stupid penalties; may be time to get someone younger, and trade his ass while he's still worth something in trade.
- I don't give two hoots for the Lions' position in the draft picks. Like any team, then need a stronger supporting cast, not supposed star players.
- The sad thing is, Schwartz will rebuild the Lions, take them to the playoffs twice, and then get the boot because he can't quite close the deal (particularly after he's been fired).
Historically, Mariucci took the team to 5-11 in his first season (the previous season under Mornhinweg they were 3-13; Mornhinweg was 5-27 in his two seasons), 6-10 in his second season, and was fired four days
after coaching a Thanksgiving Day loss; his partial third season record was 4-7, and interim replacement Dick Jauron finished off that season 1-4.
Marinelli was hired by the cipher Matt Millen and led the team further into the maelstrom (3-13, 7-9, 0-16) -- but at least that provided the impetus to the apparently catatonic owner of the team to sack the whole pack of rats and start semi-fresh (Millen's replacement was found somewhere in the offices).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Fontes
[snip] In his autobiography, “Now you see him”, Barry says of Wayne Fontes: “I thought he deserved another chance.” ...
As of 2009, Fontes is the only Lions coach to lead the team to a NFC championship game (vs the Washington Redskins following the 1991 season), as well as a division title (1993 season). He led them to the playoffs in four out of eight seasons while he was head coach, including three consecutive playoff berths in the 1993, 1994, and 1995 seasons. He left the Lions compiling the most wins in franchise history (67), most playoff appearances (5), most losses (71), and is 9th (out of 23 coaches) in total win percentage. Fontes also earned the Associated Press 1991 Coach of the Year Award.
Some rumors indicate that Fontes drafted Barry Sanders in 1989 against the wishes of other members of the Lions staff, and accounts from some contemporaries do indicate that Fontes was definitely focused on acquiring Sanders. Barry Sanders made a point to thank Fontes for his guidance in his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech. [unsnip]