Alexander, Benson and Morency working out with Lions

[Shoalzie]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 048/SPORTS

I was wondering when Alexander's name would pop up somewhere. With Benson drinking himself out of a job...I didn't expect anyone to give him a shot this soon. Apparently, the Lions are close to signing Benson but sources are saying they deny that report. Morency is probably a long shot to be signed.

Marinelli was shouting from the roof tops before the season started about wanting to run the ball more with Colletto as the o-coor. He needs to tell his defense to stop putting them behind by 3 touchdowns early in the game so he doesn't have to completely abandon the run and Kitna pretty much has to throw on every down to try to get them back in the game. They're 29th in yards...but that's misleading because Houston sits at the bottom of the list having only played one game. Last year, they averaged 20 attempts a game...the worst in the league. This year, they're average 16 carries a game. The offense really doesn't look any different from last year...the line still stinks, Kitna turns over the ball a few times a game and Roy Williams has something to complain about.

[Arch Angel]

<crickets>

[Shoalzie]

<crickets>

Hey, it got mentioned on 'Around the Horn' but take that for what it's worth though.

From what I was hearing on the local shows, nothing is likely going to happen. None of them would make up for the bad offensive line so it's probably in their best interest to stay far away from Detroit.

[orcinus]

Flopsie, Mopsie and Cottontail would have garnered a bigger response (and yielded a higher YPC).

[Arch Angel]

Hey Shoalzie

Don't mean to rag the Lions, but my wife's (diehard Packer fan, even our daughter, who is only several weeks old, wear the gear) boss is a diehard fan. He has a Lion's Shrine with a life size (newspaper type stuff mixed with glue) Barry Sanders on a pedestal with candles lit when they play.

I asked him why?

His response, "the day he left is when the team died, so I am hoping for a rebirth of some player to bring back the magic".

That is call dedication and faith.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

dedication, mental illness...whatever.

[BSmack]

His response, "the day he left is when the team died,

They weren't shit with him and they aren't shit without him, so what difference did he make?

I'll never forget watching the Lions with Barry Sanders play the Bills at Rich Stadium back in 1997. The Lions had the ball with under 3 minutes left deep in their own territory. The game was tied 13-13. All the Lions had to do was move the ball 70 or so yards and kick a field goal to win. At the very least, they needed to move the ball 15-20 yards to be able to punt the ball back to the Bills (who's offense had been sputtering all day) and most likely go to OT.

What happened? Bruce Smith tackled Barry Sanders in the end zone for a safety. Detroit free kicked and a few plays later Antowain Smith broke off a 56 yard run to ice a 22-13 Buffalo victory.

Of course Barry Sanders finished the year with over 2000 yards. But my lasting memory of that season is Smith standing over Sanders in the end zone doing his sack dance as the Lions chances for a win dribbled down their legs like warm piss.

[Arch Angel]

They weren't shit with him and they aren't shit without him, so what difference did he make?


What do you expect from people that live in that shit infested city? Even better, the state sucks even more. My brother work there for a total of two years and he stated that was two years of his life he couldn't get back.

He went to Fresno after that and now in San Diego. He said he will never live in the Midwest again.

[Shoalzie]

Hey Shoalzie

Don't mean to rag the Lions, but my wife's (diehard Packer fan, even our daughter, who is only several weeks old, wear the gear) boss is a diehard fan. He has a Lion's Shrine with a life size (newspaper type stuff mixed with glue) Barry Sanders on a pedestal with candles lit when they play.

I asked him why?

His response, "the day he left is when the team died, so I am hoping for a rebirth of some player to bring back the magic".

That is call dedication and faith.

First off, LionFan rags on the Lions so no need to apologize.

Second, her boss better set up an alter in the hopes that either Old Man Ford buys it or Matt Millen and/or Marinelli get the axe this year. This might sound sick but I'll take an 0-16 if it meant the organization gets an enema. We've taken enough abuse through the year that I don't think we'd bat an eye at a winless season.

[poptart]

I'll never forget watching the Lions with Barry Sanders play the Bills at Rich Stadium back in 1997. The Lions had the ball with under 3 minutes left deep in their own territory. The game was tied 13-13. All the Lions had to do was move the ball 70 or so yards and kick a field goal to win. At the very least, they needed to move the ball 15-20 yards to be able to punt the ball back to the Bills (who's offense had been sputtering all day) and most likely go to OT.

What happened? Bruce Smith tackled Barry Sanders in the end zone for a safety. Detroit free kicked and a few plays later Antowain Smith broke off a 56 yard run to ice a 22-13 Buffalo victory.

This is an example of the maddening 'problem' Barry's running style presented to the Lions.

I've said before on our boards that I always believed Detroit would have been better off mixing carries with Barry and a north/south type bruiser of a runner who would have taken 30-40% of reps.

Because as dynamic as Sanders was, the chains were often NOT moving while the team was waiting for him to break off his next 65 yd run.

Too many -4 yd carries mixed in.

[Shoalzie]

His response, "the day he left is when the team died,

They weren't shit with him and they aren't shit without him, so what difference did he make?

We can at least point to 1991 when they went to the NFC championship game...only to get smoked by the Skins. It's really the only season that I look back fondly on. It was also the year of the only playoff win that I've witness since I've been alive.

Really the thing with Barry was that he at least made losing entertaining. Ever since he left, losing now has just been a sad ritual. In the "Barry Era"...'89-98...they went 78-82 with 5 playoff appearances, one division title and the appearance the NFC championship game...the only time they've been that far in the Super Bowl era.

They had one playoff appearance in the two years after Barry left and before the Millen era of futility began. Since Millen has come in, the Lions have gone 31-83...you think we wouldn't mind going back to the mediocrity of the days of Barry and Wayne Fontes?