What Happened to the Detroit Lions Before "The Old Man Died"

Part Four:

XLIX?

The Detroit Lions are in a precarious spot when it comes to the future; go back to the old ways before WCF died or fulfill WCF’s wishes of winning a championship.

The story of the Seattle Seahawks is a very simple one. Under the leadership of sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson, a sound offensive core, and the “Legion of Boom,” the Seahawks stormed through the divisional playoffs and conference championship, downing the powerhouses of New Orleans with Drew Brees and San Francisco with Colin Kaepernick in the process. Then, as everyone knows the Seahawks came into MetLife Stadium for Super Bowl XLVIII and from the first offensive snap’s safety, won every battle. There were no holes to be seen in the #2 defense in the league, Russell Wilson looked like a seasoned “game-manager”, and big play after big play killed Peyton Manning and the Broncos’ chances. Everything from then on was scripted, and the Seahawks and MVP Malcolm Smith triumphantly hoisted the Lombardi trophy.

It sounds like a Cinderella story, but again there’s, “No magic formula (Samuelsen).” The Seahawks sculpted the right environment for success from, “bold free agent signings…remarkable scouting and drafting… and (rolling) the dice a time or too (Samuelsen).” Though even with this, there are countless examples, like the NFC Championship interception by Malcolm Smith, where by bare inches the Seahawks continued on their Super Bowl journey. But in the end, the Seattle Seahawks had all the bounces go their way, and were on top of the world for the first time in their history.

Now the question is: How haven’t the Lions had this happen to them?

As many writers say, they “don’t believe the franchise is jinxed,” and that since the Ford family owns the team, the team can’t win (Caputo). Instead, one thing after another seemed to fall out of place for the Detroit Lions. Whether it be from self-centered wide receiver Titus Young in 2012, to hot headed head coach Jim Schwartz in 2013 that didn’t push enough for change, to many other examples over the past 50 years, it caused a negative environment to linger around the franchise. Then this paired William Clay Ford’s (WCF) questionable franchise decisions, kept the team in the same place it has been since 1957. Mediocrity.

To lose the label of mediocrity though and become a team like the Seattle Seahawks, the Lions need to employ the tactics so many other struggling franchises did to turn things around. The “Control,” “accountability,” the right people, and a “renaissance” feeling will allow the Lions to change to become successful “and win big (Caputo).” And today, we’re seeing before our eyes this change.

From the start of the offseason, one day after the less-than-average 14-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings to give the Lions their 13^th losing season since the new millennium, Lions President Tom Lewand and GM Martin Mayhew made a statement. This offseason was solely for building a championship team and bringing, “a consistently-winning football team to the city of Detroit immediately (Twentyman).” It may have seemed like the usual PR statement, but to other die-hard fans and I, a new feeling arose. For the first time in an offseason it was an immediate priority to bring change and a stop to the Lions’ label of “The National Pundits (Caputo).” Instead, become the team that’s in the spotlight, having players chat with Jimmy Fallon on late-night.

 It’s a drastic shift for the Detroit Lions with the culture they had for decades, but as Mayhew and Lewand alluded to, “We are trying to get to the next level (Twentyman).”

And there’s never been such high expectation, just look at seasons past, where there was always something holding the Lions back. Now though, the plan is lying out beautifully to, “move on from “Same Old Lions (S.O.L.) (Twentyman),” under Lewand and Mayhew’s guidance. This was first backed  up on January 14^th, where the Lions hired Jim Caldwell as Head Coach.

Maybe not the first choice or, “a big enough name to appease some fans for the Lions (Lacy),” like Ken Wisenhunt, but Jim Caldwell and the Lions soon proved that he wasn’t a second choice. His opening press conference a day later shocked the franchise, being a spectacle that no fan has maybe ever seen. Everything was planned out for how this team was to look and Caldwell coming in would keep the plan in motion. As said soft-spokenly, “Business,” was Caldwell’s motto, with him promising to the Lions that this would be a team that didn’t become too cocky week after week, but instead keep a business-like feeling throughout the whole year until they were Super Bowl champions.

The one-and-only Bobby Ross said it right with Jim Caldwell having a “tremendous” background (Lacy). A Super Bowl Championship as Offensive Coordinator of the Ravens two years ago, making a Super Bowl appearance as a head coach of the Colts in 2010, and countless praise from players and analysts like Tony Dungy shows that Caldwell is capable of instilling a winning culture. And with his “zero-tolerance” mindset and the help of his brilliant coordinators Joe Lombardi and Teryl Austin, that culture will be easier to achieve.

“It’s not a question about the Lions fighting to be a competitive football team anymore (Twentyman),” since they have Caldwell and the most talent in 50 years. With the likes of Matthew Stafford, “Megatron” (Calvin Johnson), Stephen Tulloch, Ndamokung Suh, a solid offensive line, and more, the Lions have a strong foundation for success. Then add in free agents, like wide receiver Golden Tate and safety James Ihedigbo, along with this year’s draft, and the sky is the limit for the Detroit Lions. But as the Lions organization continues to allude, it isn’t just that easy.

The Lions have to be meticulous at scouting, finding the best players to fit under Jim Caldwell’s culture and fill in the holes (Samuelsen). They need to make themselves become a “Seahawk-like” team with a strong defense and player mindset. And the Lions need to fix the flaws, whether it be from quarterback Matthew Stafford’s tendency to “force the ball (Samuelsen),” to a non-conservative playbook. Then, use these fixed flaws with the Lions’ strengths like great receiver play, speed, and heart to mold a championship team (Samuelsen).

It’s all a process in becoming a model champion like the Seattle Seahawks, and from the start the Lions are seemingly out in front of the pack in the NFL. The Lions still though have that monkey on their back of S.O.L and the whole 2014 season must be nearly perfect to win Super Bowl XLIX.

For the Lions is it really a Cinderella story? From my point of view it is. All of the improbability, the failure, the loss, the underachievement, and the negativity all changing to eventually culminate in a Super Bowl Championship would make the press’ mouths water and more importantly, is what every Lions fan wants.

Everyone around the Lions has experienced so much pain and it seems the mission in 2014 is to alleviate that pain with a Gatorade shower. More importantly though, it’s to remember and keep WCF’s legacy strong and make his “burning desire to win (Lacy)” a reality. With William Clay Ford Junior (WCF Jr.) now running the day to day operations and WCF looking down from above, I have no doubt that it will happen. And when the Lions are world champions, I with my Father will look back at this story, the pain, the despair, and raise our fists in triumph, balling our eyes out, and party like never before.

From five years old going to games weekly, who would have known this, could be the story? But I’m a part of it knowing I’ll stay a die-hard Lions fan forever and remember one thing.

It’s got to happen sometime.

Works Cited

Caputo, Pat. "CAPUTO: Detroit Lions Left Picking up the Pieces of Shattered Season."

Press & Guide. N.p., 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Lacy, Eric. "Former Detroit Lions Coach Bobby Ross Says Jim Caldwell Has a 'tremendous

Background'" M-Live. N.p., 14 Jan. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Samuelsen, Jamie. "Jamie Samuelsen's Blog: Three Keys the Detroit Lions Should Get from

Seahawks' Super Bowl Win." The Detroit Free Press. N.p., 4 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Mar.

2014.

Twentyman, Tim. "Twentyman: Where Is the Lions Organization Heading?" The Official

            Website of the Detroit Lions. N.p., 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

What Happened to the Detroit Lions Before “The Old Man” Died

          Part Three:

          Bobby Ross & Barry Sanders

When you have a history like the Detroit Lions, the ‘cursed’ feeling around the team has been known to drive away people from the franchise.

We’ve heard it all before in how the Lions are ‘cursed’ and always seem to be perennial losers. When you’re part of a league in the NFL that gives you over 130 million dollars in cap room and countless opportunities throughout the year, such as the NFL draft, free agency, and trades to improve your team though, there’s no reason a team shouldn’t improve one year to the next. For many NFL teams, they are able to improve easily. Just look at the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and how they went from no playoffs, to divisional playoffs, to being on top of the world in 3 years.  

“There’s no magic formula (Samuelsen),” to achieve what the Seattle Seahawks did, but when you’re the Detroit Lions though, it seems like it takes one to put a stop to unprecedented events.

No matter how close the Lions seem to get, something bad just has to happen. A fumble at the right time by Reggie Bush, an improbable 3^rd down conversion in the 4^th quarter, a 61 yard field goal by Justin Tucker, and other events during the season ruining Week 15 MNF are exact examples of the improbability (Week 15: Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit Lions Highlights). And since, “it’s the Lions (Samuelsen),” the saying ‘you haven’t seen everything’ hangs in the air and the heartbreak continues.  And it’s continued since William Clay Ford Senior (WCF) first took ownership more than 50 years ago, and until the Lions win a Super Bowl, it’ll be the monkey on the Lions’ back.  And as it continues, it adds insult to injury with fans, players, and coaches. Then, as the hurt builds and builds, it culminates with the one thing that keeps the Lions from getting over the hump: people giving up and leaving.

Fans and broadcasters passionately say all the time that they can’t take all the losing on 97.1 “The Ticket,” and sometimes even the die-hard Lions fans exhaust all of their passion and give up on the Detroit Lions. And as Pat Caputo said, the Lions are “national pundits… (who) falling over themselves,” take the life out the Detroit Lions “family” week after week. And as the Lions keep losing, the Lions lose out on players and coaches that could take the franchise to the next level.

The story is an easy one to tell; no one can take it. Someone may deny this by saying, “I was feeling like I did enough, ready to move on (Schottey),” like with Barry Sanders. Eventually though they’ll later say, “I lost the determination to do it every day (Schottey).” That seems to be the theme synonymous with Detroit. With Barry Sanders though, one may ask, why him at running back with his talent, destined for the hall of fame, abruptly ended his career after 10 years?

Barry Sanders, a  star running back coming out of Oklahoma State, drafted 3^rd overall by Detroit, was destined for greatness from day one of in the NFL. Even with being a lesser 5’8’’, modeling his running style after legends like Tony Dorsett, O.J. Simpson, and Gale Sayers, Barry tailored his running to be instinctive and creative, dominating the opposition in the process (Schottey). For anyone watching, Barry Sanders’ escapeability stunned defenders and fans alike as he ran for touchdown after touchdown, piling up 99 of them, and a 3^rd most ever 15,269 yards in his glorious career. With countless 1500-plus yard seasons, countless trips to the playoffs, and being essential to the Lions winning a division title and playoff game in 1991, Sanders seemed to have a fulfilling career that would continue into the 21^st century. Sanders had something else in mind though when he announced his retirement after the 1998 season.

The Lions in 1998 at the time were extremely mediocre at 5-11 and with a down year, Barry noted there was too much to deal with and consequently walked away from the game. Even with the, “tough decision,” as noted by Sanders, the Lions being in constant turmoil and a rebuilding state, gave him the grounds to retire (Schottey).  He, also having the expectation of being the one who would carry the Lions to the promise land, showed the mental pressure was too much for him. Now with Sanders long gone, the only things remaining are the memories of his dazzling jukes and cuts, and the image of him on the Madden 25 videogame cover as the Lions, “fanbase… still stings from Sanders’ retirement. (Schottey)” Then just 2 years later during the 2000 season, it was déjà vu with Lions Head Coach Bobby Ross.

Ross, after experiencing Sanders leaving, a failed playoff game in 1999 against the Packers, the usual Lions mediocrity, and, “difficulty getting players to commit to the… program (Lacy),” got fed up. That combined with medical concerns caused him to resign midseason. It was another huge shock to fans, when Ross was coaching allegedly better the playoff-winning predecessor Wayne Fontes.

Later Ross had regret over leaving, but he described problems in creating and keeping a winning culture (Lacy). The Lions ‘curse’ seemed to somehow impede him and in the end, he couldn’t take it.

Through Bobby Ross, Barry Sanders, and many other examples, it showed that the losing culture of the Detroit Lions deflects instead of attracts talent. And in the process, the Lions become worse instead of better, effectively destroying confidence in the team. Talk about pushing someone while they’re down, huh?

Honestly though, no one wanted to see the Lions stay in the state they did. WCF was always passionate throughout his ownership to win a championship. As retired kicker Jason Hanson said about players in Detroit, “We weren’t a product of him (WCF), we were people (Birkett).” And time after time, players came back to say, like Hanson and Sanders, that they felt guilty about never winning a championship for Ford (Birkett). WCF’s ownership was based on “kindness and generosity (Birkett),” but the Lions’ losing culture and the way WCF managed though drove people away from the organization.

Now though, the tide is changing. With one of the most potent offenses and physical defenses in the NFL, the Lions path to success may be close to reaching its climax. The new Lions Head Coach Jim Caldwell though has to keep that upswing. He has to instill the discipline and work ethic that produces championships and a winning culture. He has to make sure players are committed to a change of the Detroit Lions’ culture for good. Most importantly though, Caldwell and the Lions front office has to prevent the most talented team the Lions have ever had from leaving under the conditions so many before did. Calvin Johnson’s face after MNF Week 15 is a prime example that shows even he can’t keep dealing with the continuous losing (Week 15: Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit Lions Highlights). And if he were to leave, good luck in winning a championship.

The time for the Lions to win is now.

Works Cited

Birkett, Dave. "Jason Hanson Feels Bad about Detroit Lions Not Winning More for William

Clay Ford." The Detroit Free Press. N.p., 10 Mar. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Lacy, Eric. "Former Detroit Lions Coach Bobby Ross Says Jim Caldwell Has a 'tremendous

Background'" M-Live. N.p. Samuelsen, Jamie. "

Samuelsen, Jamie. "Jamie Samuelsen's Blog: Three Keys the Detroit Lions Should Get from

Seahawks' Super Bowl Win." The Detroit Free Press. N.p., 4 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Mar.

2014.

Schottey, Michael. "Detroit Lions Legend Barry Sanders Talks Madden Cover and Why He Left

the Game." Bleacher Report. N.p., 25 Aug. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Week 15: Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit Lions Highlights. Dir. NFL Videos. Perf. The Detroit

Lions and The Baltimore Ravens. NFL.com. N.p., 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 24 Dec. 2013.

What Happened to the Detroit Lions Before “The Old Man” Died

          Part Two:

          What Managerial Logic?

How William Clay Ford’s loyalty in his decision making led to a franchise that consistently underachieved.

The NFL General Manager (GM) and Head Coach (HC). It’s an understatement to say these figures are the life-blood of a NFL franchise. Between the two of them, they have the challenging tasks of working with or heading: the scouting, scheming, drafting, player development, finances, hiring, and public relations of a franchise, all under the watchful eye of the NFL owner, 365 days per year. Their work ethic is the difference between a Lombardi Trophy and mediocrity, so it’s essential that the GM and HC know what they’re doing. It may be easy to say, but for some, they can’t wrap their head around this concept.

William Clay Ford Senior (WCF) was sadly one of these people. He put his blood, sweat, and tears into ownership of the Detroit Lions, striving hard to win a championship. In the end though, WCF’s mindset prevented his goals from being achieved. And usually, it ended in talk of being ‘cursed’ in a complete S.O.L., “meltdown (Hanzus).”

Looking back at WCF’s ownership from 1963 to his death in 2014, one thing sticks out. WCF ran the Detroit Lions the same today, as back when he purchased the dominant team in 1963. That may bring up a few question marks, but one piece of evidence shows it’s the truth. Loyalty. Taught to everyone as child as being essential to one’s life and defined as, “Faithfulness to commitments or obligations.” In some instances though, it’s a killer. And as Mike Hanzus alluded to, “Ford (WCF) was known for his loyalty, but it was sometimes to a detriment.”

Over the time of WCF’s ownership, there are many instances where WCF could have given up loyalty, but in line with his personality, it didn’t happen. He could’ve, after the string of inconsistency and playoff losses in the 1970s-1990s, given control to his son William Clay Ford Junior (WCF Jr.), who was apt to run a NFL franchise.  WCF, though, ended up not even considering because he was loyal to the Detroit Lions and had a, “deep desire to win with the Lions (Hanzus),” himself. He could’ve recognized that some of the hires that were made at GM and HC weren’t working out, but WCF stayed pat and despite advice from WCF Jr., team president Tom Lewand, and others, contract termination wasn’t an option. But most importantly, WCF could’ve sought out change, a complete stop to S.O.L., and the Lions becoming something more than mediocre. In reality, WCF’s loyalty in his ownership kept the Detroit Lions irrelevant and always looking for answers.

And if you’re looking for one thing WCF’s loyalty, there are only two words to describe it: Matt Millen.

You today can see him being the color commentator on ABC College Football games, and it’s asked, ‘How could this commentator and former NFL Super Bowl winning and Hall of Fame linebacker become the representation of the struggles of the Detroit Lions and WCF?’ In response, Lions fans say the one remark that haunts them to this day, “0-16.”

On January 9, 2001 though, no one saw an imminent disaster when WCF hired an excited Matt Millen to take over at GM of this struggling franchise. Many said that this move, “was impetus for Detroit’s long-awaited resurgence (Meinke),” and Detroit would finally hoist the Lombardi Trophy after so many long years. What came after the initial press conference though, no one expected. In the next seven years, Matt Millen became undoubtedly the worst GM in NFL history.

Hiring head coaches like Marty Mohrninweg, Steve Mariucci, and Rod Marinelli with no question from WCF, Millen set up the Lions for failure.  These people in the organization didn’t have the right system for the Lions to succeed, whether it be from little player connectivity to horrible scheming, and caused the team to fall apart at the fabric. Then, came Millen setting the Lions back with, “Questionable and sometimes bizarre personnel moves…particularly…in the draft (Meinke).” Honestly, my nine year old cousin could’ve drafted better than Millen. With no concept of what’s employed presently in the Detroit Lions organization, like, “the…long-term needs”, “best available,” or even logic, drafting seemed to make the Lions worse, never better (Katzenstein). 

Picks like Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers, and Mike Williams made sure the talent level stayed at its lowest, even though Millen had chances to choose better. For example, back in the 2005 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions at draft pick 10 had a chance to take DeMarcus Ware. As Matthew Millen (Matt Millen’s son) and many experts around the league said, “DeMarcus Ware is a stud… (would become) a great pass rusher (and) he would fit our (The Detroit Lions’) scheme (Hanzus).”  Millen on draft day pulled a fast-one though, and decided to take a shaky Mike Williams at wide receiver instead. After two years, Williams was released after drug problems, and Ware became a pro-bowl linebacker in Dallas. Matthew Millen and the NFL couldn’t believe what illogic they’d witnessed and with it, established the “Millen-esque (Patra),” way of doing things.

 

Even with the mess that Millen created in the several years he was GM, WCF against advice again from family and employees, stayed confident in and loyal to Millen. And with that, the bottom fell out for the Detroit Lions. To 2008, the franchise’s execution worsened even more, and eventually it took WCF Jr. saying, “He would (fire Millen)…if he were in charge (Hanzus),” to make WCF finally fire Millen three games into that season. But the damage was done, and the Lions “accomplished” a record of 0-16, “a feat never seen before or since (Hanzus).”

“Matt Millen’s run as GM of the Detroit Lions has become stuff of “legend” (Hanzus),” with his 31-84 total record and illogical administration. He essentially drove the Detroit Lions into the ground, and except with the one good of drafting Calvin Johnson, to this day, “The Lions (are)…still recovering from the Millen era.” In Detroit, Matt Millen is up there with Kwame Kilpatrick as one of the most hated, but it never should’ve ended that way. By WCF staying loyal to Millen’s decision making for so long, “The Old Man” could’ve been said to be instrumental to the driving the Lions into the ground.

WCF seemed to have finally learned his lesson from “0-16” and the past forty-plus years of failures, and consequently gave WCF Jr. control of the day-to-day operations of the Detroit Lions in 2009. The Lions remember and are still dealing with the after-effects of WCF’s loyalty, like with the S.O.L talk, recently terminated Jim Schwartz, and a losing culture. The Lions are starting to move on though, and are doing well in striving toward becoming a world class organization. With WCF recently passed though, it’s hard not to stop and think how improbable it is that all of this happened to him and the Detroit Lions. But, it’s the Lions, right? No matter what happens though, Lions fans will always remember WCF’s loyalty. Not to his employees, but to one city and one team.

Works Cited

Hanzus, Dan. "Matt Millen's Son on Lions Passing up DeMarcus Ware." NFL.com. N.p., 7 Oct.

2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Katzenstein, Josh. "Lions Need to Win Now but Must Consider Future with First-round Pick."

 The Detroit News. N.p., 1 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Meinke, Kyle. "5 Days That Defined William Clay Ford's Ownership of the Detroit Lions."

M-Live. N.p., 9 Mar. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Patra, Kevin. "Detroit Lions: Best and Worst Draft Picks." NFL.com. N.p., 4 Apr. 2014. Web. 27

Mar. 2014.

What Happened to the Detroit Lions Before “The Old Man” Died

           Part One:
           Washington 41- Detroit 10

A view into the life of a Lions Fan and the tragedy that people just shrug off and not care about.

It was a glorious day on Sunday, March 9^th for me and my Father to be driving up to Lexington, Michigan to gather up belongings at my grandparents’. It was bitterly cold as usual, but with little traffic to speak off on I-94, the day couldn’t have been any more relaxing. Radio on our usual 97.1 “The Ticket,” we just glided down the highway. As we were pulling off the exit ramp though, I was shocked at what I heard next from the sports updater Ryan Wooley, who sternly exclaimed, “The Lions’ Owner of 50 years, William Clay Ford Senior, has just passed from pneumonia.” My Father and I just looked at each other for a few seconds, shut off from the road ahead of us. All my father could say was, “Wow.”

William Clay Ford Senior (WCF), as the Lions’ sole proprietor, focused everyday over five decades from drafting and scouting, to hiring personnel to make the best team possible. With being a part of the clan of die-hard clan of Lions fans, WCF was the only owner my father and I knew. This news of his passing hit me just as hard as him.

Fall Sundays are different for us than many others’ families. While they go to church or sleep in, my father and I walk down the steam-filled streets of Detroit to get our tickets checked, and then proceed into Ford Field. Our lives revolve around this steel and mortar dome complex, holding 65,000 strong. When we walk Twentyman).”

into this sacred place, it’s always exciting, but in the end, it’s business. We go to get our money’s worth. See Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Stephen Tulloch, and Reggie Bush put on a spectacle.  See months of game-planning and training turn into a win. See happiness. Most importantly though, we want the one thing that every football fan wants, to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. One idea that always stays constant as the Lions strive to achieve this goal though, is, “The time to win is now (

This may seem easy to say, but for a franchise created in 1929, it’s last championship was 1957, and has never won a Super Bowl, that saying has always been a challenge for the Detroit Lions under WCF.

When someone searches ‘cursed’ on Google, I’m surprised the Detroit Lions isn’t the first topic to pop up. All over, from internet to casual talking, almost anything today about the Detroit Lions is labeled with criticism, disgust, pessimism, and the coined stereotype:  Same Old Lions (S.O.L.). “Same old Lions to begin another coaching search…Same old Lions starting over again (Twentyman).” It’s sickening for me and other fans to hear over and over again and, “…One which makes me literally roll my eyes (Caputo).” What leads you though to believe this isn’t true though? The evidence is striking in how the Lions always shoot themselves in the foot. Even though we have probably the most talent we’ve had in 50 years, high draft picks, a city supporting the team through thick and thin, a lead in the NFC North and other teams’ injuries, and a caring owner like WCF, the Lions seem to always end up losing in, “…classic Lions fashion (Wattrick).”  No offensive or defensive execution at the most crucial times, improbable events happening like the Tucker 61 yard field goal on MNF (“Week  15: Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit Lions Highlights”), general managers drafting “no-names”, blowing a division lead and a chance for our 2^nd ever home playoff game, “0-16”, and, oh yeah, losing games.

There have been good times obviously, but I’ve seen this tragedy first hand walking out of Ford Field countless times.  Sad, in disbelief, sometimes crying. That’s how most of the 65,000 in Ford Field, especially me, feel after the Lions throw an opportunity away, again.  It’s unbelievable how nothing can change, even though the team and everyone surrounding the organization wants to see them win. To a lot of Lions fans, it seems commonplace when the Lions squander, “Another opportunity (Wattrick).” And it’s not right. Only with the Detroit Lions is the phrase, “snatched defeat from the jaws of victory (Wattrick),” synonymous.

At a time in 1991 though, this wasn’t the case. The Lions, fresh off winning their first ever NFC Central Title, were poised with a bye and a first-round home playoff game to show what they were really made of. WCF was using the symbolic thumbs-up gesture of the injured Mike Utley to show that this Lions team was a “team of destiny”. For a time in the beginning of January, this seemed to be the truth. On January 5^th, 1992 the Lions marched in to Pontiac Silverdome, supported by 100,000-plus, and with a spectacular performance drove the Dallas Cowboys out of the city by a score of 38-6. The feeling of jubilation stretched1991 NFC Divisional Playoffs- Lions vs Cowboys”). Everyone jumped on the bandwagon of the Detroit Lions and Barry Sanders, Herman Moore, Eric Kramer in their Super Bowl run. It seemed like luck was going to change for the Lions, but as always the S.O.L. factor took over. The Lions went down to Washington for the NFC Championship, where their last win was 1964, and with a less than lackluster performance got blown out 41-10. With that, it ended hope again, and coupled with 6 playoff failures from then on, the Lions never got any closer.

across Metro Detroit and the stadium like never before (“

It’s pretty demoralizing. You think you’ve seen everything horrible happen to the Detroit Lions, but that’s never the case. Honestly though, this isn’t recognized by anyone except for Lions fans. Any sports writer or fan out of town may think their situation is bad, but compared to us, the problems they’re seeing are extremely miniscule compared to ours. The sayings, “The Lions seemingly had the game under control,” “The Lions can’t solve the puzzle,”  “The stats…are hollow” and others have been ever-constant with this franchise over the last five decades (Caputo).  With all this evidence, it’s easy to see why, “frustrations boil over (Dunkak),” and fans are sad, desperate, and angry in Detroit.

After hearing the news of WCF’s passing, I knew he wanted the best for the Lions, hoist the Lombardi trophy, and lift a city out of despair. But even with the work he did to make a team that had a winning culture, you’d be naïve not to suggest, “A losing culture still exists in Allen Park (Caputo).”

Works Cited

1991 NFC Divisional Playoffs - Lions vs Cowboys. Dir. Hockeyguy9125. YouTube. N.p., 19 Jan.

2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Caputo, Pat. "CAPUTO: Detroit Lions Left Picking up the Pieces of Shattered Season." Press &

Guide. N.p., 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Dunkak, Ashley. "Jim Schwartz Appears To Yell To Lions Fans: 'What The F--- Are You

Booing At?'" CBS Detroit. N.p., 22 Dec. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.

Twentyman, Tim. "Twentyman: Where Is the Lions Organization Heading?" The Official

Website of the Detroit Lions. N.p., 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Wattrick, Jeff. "Same Old Lions Embarrassed Themselves In Prime Time." Deadline Detroit.

N.p., 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Week 15: Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit Lions Highlights. Dir. NFL Videos. Perf. The Detroit

Lions and The Baltimore Ravens. NFL.com. N.p., 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 24 Dec. 2013.

The United States and Denmark: We’re Watching You

When I was little, my mother always told me that, “Honesty is the only policy,” and, “Don’t worry there aren’t any monsters watching you.”  At that age, I didn’t have any reason to believe any different about the fascinating world around me. That was until the logic I developed proved that the world in the 21^st century was far from that guideline. We think that today we all can set up security codes, passwords, and computer programs that protect us from being exposed to the government and identity thieves everywhere. As Edward Snowden exposed though, we’re all being watched every minute of the day by corporations and mainly, the federal government. Honestly, even though people seem to go berserk over anything dealing with the right of privacy, it’s logical why we’re being watched.

Human nature makes us naturally curious and have the lust to micromanage, and this curiousness translates to government, or even at home, school, and work. This is because we all want to be mind-readers and if we know what others think, we can be better informed about the world around us and how to manage it. For example, those performance reviews, cross-checks, cameras, or even last night’s math homework is a form off curiosity that allows someone to manage others more efficiently. Even with the beneficial and logical aspect of surveillance, since it brings so much conflict, the cons outweigh the pros. We don’t need those brawls in our local Meijer or neighborhood, right? Whatever the case though, surveillance leads the demise and insanity of nations.

Any surveillance of a people creates paranoia and when there’s such a huge case like the NSA, the paranoia chaotically rampages through a nation. When Edward Snowden became a whistleblower and quoted, “Even if you’re not doing anything wrong, you’re being watched and recorded,”, the fact that this situation has been happening for years and years frightened everyone and caused a storm of questioning and resulting paranoia. Take Shakespeare’s Hamlet:  when King Claudius decided to spy on the Prince of Denmark for his seeming lunacy and lust for Ophelia, in the same way as the NSA and terrorism, many of the investigations “behind the curtain” didn’t turn up anything. Then, when the investigation went too far and Hamlet was set up with his own mother Gertrude, it lead to a mistake and the killing of the royal courtier Polonius. And after all that, the only explanation that could come out of Hamlet’s mouth in response to his mother is, “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell…Take thy fortune.”

Hamlet is right in a sense though. What other reaction is he going to have to surveillance and deception than paranoia? As with the U.S. people too, any lie or deceit created by a body we trust, such as the federal government will cause an imminent, widespread craziness. Even if the NSA is trying to patch up a problem like national security, nobody wants to be lied to and deceived when it comes to, “What are you doing?” And when there’s no honesty, a fight will then ensue by not just individuals like Snowden, but a whole group of people or even a nation. This is because we’re still fighting for our liberty just like it was in 1776, even if it is involving the modern issue of technological privacy, and it’s in our blood to fight back. And when it comes to this idea, a person won’t ask, “What am I doing?” They’ll only consider what’s right and wrong in protecting their identity. If it leads to dismal killing, it’s NSA only the NSA’s fault and it teaches them a lesson. And the same situation arose in Hamlet too: there’s a swordfight, deaths of four royals, and a new order who took over. In the end, Claudius’ actions made him a product of himself and lead to Denmark’s paranoia, just like with the NSA and its PR.

Shouldn’t the NSA have recognized that surveillance in the way they used it was somewhat wrong? In any workplace, or even at home, eavesdropping is unethical and frowned upon, since it creates uneasiness and tension. So, in the most prestigious of workplaces, the federal government, where in many Congressional sessions the issue of right to privacy was upheld, isn’t it unmoral to spy on other government representatives and Americans because of those reasons? I guess the answer is no because they, even with the backlash, go through millions of phone records each day to root out the next potential suicide bomber in a major metropolitan area. In Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark said it well to Ophelia in, “Get thee to a nunnery…Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?” Truly though, Hamlet can say that to the U.S. government too, and even if there isn’t any prostitution involved (except in the Secret Service), the repeated unmoral actions of the NSA and other officials is unacceptable and unexplainable.

If you look around today, other countries like Russia, Canada, Iran, Pakistan, and even China are laughing at us in how the American people mindlessly fight each other, weakening the fabric of our nation. Also, they chuckle in how in a Democracy, there’s surveillance like in a Communist system, and how we still try to spy, even when it works .000001% of the time. Then, there’s the other side of the issue where in the rare case a lead does appear, in our efforts to kill these potential terrorists with drones, we end up killing innocent bystanders. All that comes out is weakened relations with other nations and the question, “Why are you accessing our technology when we’re not at war?” To sum it up, morality is thrown out the window with surveillance and when one body tries to examine another, the other gets paranoid and the end result isn’t pleasant. Look at what happened to Hamlet and King Claudius when Claudius spied and planned to deceive him, they both ended up killing each other. The same is true, physically and emotionally, in the real world too.

“And for what?” Snowden sounds a loud alarm with that statement and even with the small benefit of increasing the chances of catching a fugitive or terrorist, it’s morally wrong. Just look what it did to Hamlet in text and in the Hollywood movie, it made him a lunatic. The U.S. already has too many problems and we don’t need to be exposing ourselves to something we can prevent. We don’t even need a lot of statistics to show that surveillance isn’t effective or ethical. You can just use past knowledge and say: why wasn’t the Boston Marathon bomber stopped or why the Malaysian Airlines plane disappearance wasn’t prevented? In all, when I walk into an airport and have to have a full body scan and not bring bottles over 3 ounces for that .000001%, something isn’t working right. 

June 12th, 2013

June 12^th; exams and the school year were wrapping up (even though it seems like they never end), we were all getting the summer hype like T-sizzle at OTAs, and Royal Oak, Michigan was quiet (like it seems it always is). Though, back at home the quietness broke suddenly at 3 p.m. My life seemed to end in the blink of an eye. Is it an overreaction when I look back? Maybe; but isn’t everything we or say an overreaction? It’s human nature to overreact and it happens all the time on the news. Just look at the Detroit Bankruptcy and emergency manager Kevin Orr. People turned their nose to these and showed the sky was literally falling. They even burned down the Heidelberg Project. Look what has come out of this “apocalypse” though; a new mayor and life and the nightmare seems to be finally coming to an end. Anyway, in my head at the time and still till this day I haven’t recovered from my nightmare. How would it feel if you were pushed down in a corner and stomped on by a close friend that you bonded with? To me, it’s completely devastating. No, honestly, it sucks. We don’t have to mention anyone’s name, that’s not the point. The point is the life was sucked right out of me. It was like a Dyson did the job too. And just

like those Dysons that are so stupidly overpriced (like man, who’d buy a $600 vacuum), the cost of this experience emotionally is exponential. Really, it was to Jupiter and back. And if you had to bounce back quickly for the day after, you think it could be done? Let’s just say it takes a lot out of you. Luckily though, I survived. But, it was one of the hardest experiences I’ve ever experienced. Oh, and when this happens wouldn’t it be nice to get a little help from another friend who knows what’s going on, so you can eventually get up? Yeah…but guess what? That didn’t happen either.  

Honestly, I have my side to this whole entire  thing where there was no mention of me doing anything wrong. There was no coming to me by him and everything seeme to be going as usual. I guess it wasn’t, because on the 12^th the train derailed and I’m sitting in disbelief, breaking down, and looking for answers that to this day I can’t find. Even though I see him almost daily now, there’s no remorse, no guilt, no apology, and it seems like he doesn’t care. It again; sucks. Maybe he does care; I can’t read his mind. You know, that’s a good point, if I had a superpower it’d be mind-reading. And it’s easy to guess why. I’d get answers and I’d know why. Those “Whys” give us closure and that’s what I need; closure. And to that other friend, he could’ve helped me, talked to him, and got this fixed like any good friend should do. Isn’t that what a true friend should do, help you out? Well as I found out, the other wasn’t a true friend.  From what I heard, he listened to everything he had to say and none of what I had to say. Even though I was the one who didn’t know what was going on with him. Doesn’t this sound so wrong? Then, guess what happened? We all avoided contact and I still stayed in that corner. I’ve said to myself that he can’t win, but right now I’m still losing every day. Anytime my mind isn’t fixed on something else, it’s on him and what happened.  And until I go undefeated, there’s no way I can fully recover. Oh yeah, and another thing that sucks is the seeming bitterness for no reason. (I know I’m rambling on and on, but isn’t it bad?) There’s just blank stares and little to no direct talking. It’s awkward. And you know, it’s from how he ended things and him alone. I after June 12, tried to reach out, but I got little to no response again. It just shows he’s uncomfortable and embarrassed (at least I think), over how he ended things. He shouldn’t of ended things the way he did. I’m a strong person, but the only thing I could do is cry after what he did.

Is life supposed to be this tough? I hear all the time that life “is a process,” and you need to “go with the flow.” That’s easy to say, but incredibly hard to do. You sometimes can’t use perspective and take a step back. That’s exactly what happened with my former friend and why it’s so hard to recover. Some adult somewhere would say quickly in response, “You need to overcome it.” And I want to say, “Come in my shoes, and try to handle everything I had to handle with him.” Then the, “I’ve been through this kind of thing before,” is unleashed and it makes me want to laugh. How many times can I say it? How can you deal with what I had to deal with when everyone’s life is unique? I’m sorry to say it, but there’s always a difference. I could go keep going on and on, and the only thing I can say is, “This is different,” and hope people understand.  Now thinking about it, making it through emotionally to this day shows I am strong and I pat myself on the back for that. Honestly, the situation with him has gotten better and there’s more comfort now than on June 12^th. But, there’s still a long way to go. It’s a work in progress, just like anything, and I still want answers. I thought “God” had all the answers in life. “God,” the eternal savior, featured on Sundays from Church to Animation Domination on FOX, is the supposed one to shoot down lightning bolts and make it all better. Isn’t that what all parents say to their child after a “boo-boo?” “It’ll be all right.” It’ so generic and stupid. As I’ve seen with my situation and others, it usually isn’t. Look at all the natural disasters, let-downs, disease, famine, shortage, corruption; I could go on forever. I do believe in God, but I can see why this new modernist/atheist movement is taking hold today.

People are losing hope; period. They’ve seen the evidence themselves that there’s only loss and no help will be given to them. Even with this, I still hold out hope. To me, hope is the one main thing that keeps me going and knowing there will be change. I hope for June 12^th to be reversed. Hope for success in my life. And hope for the Detroit Lions to go to the promise land. It’s hard when I hear stories of 50 years of disappointment and I go to games as a season ticket holder (just like the MNF 18-16 loss to Ravens), to see why the nightmare seems not to end for these Lions. You just hope the 61-yard field-goal will miss and change the franchise’s and your life, but sometimes…that 61-yarder finds a way to squeak through and ruin everything. And it’s like; how can a 61-yarder (really… a 61-yarder), go through the uprights. Here, though, I still keep hope for a dynasty. It’s the one thing I’ll always keep personal.  Even if everyone gives up, I’ll still stay a Lion for eternity. That’s what I’m trying to do with June 12^th, and I hope to God there’ll be improvement. Right now though, it seems like there won’t be salvation.

As I continue to struggle, I keep stating the obvious. What my former friend did was wrong. I still, as you probably see, want to be good friends again. That’ll probably take a miracle though. All I know, on June 12^th, 2013 it went from good friends and street hockey; to my world turning upside down and him and I going our separate ways.  

Dolphin Tales Like It Was 1984

You’ve probably heard about the NFL in one form or another from the gripping games to major stories.  And I’m sure you know the story of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins’ locker room. It’s hard not to know if you follow media like ESPN, local news, and “Conan”. But, anyway, over the past month it has been heavily reported and scrutinized over that offensive lineman Richie Incognito has been bullying and hazing on fellow offensive lineman Jonathan Martin. There were many incidents on the field and in the locker room of Incognito and teammates trying to “toughen Martin up.” As these call-outs continued over a year’s period, starting in Martin’s vulnerable rookie season, Martin became more uncomfortable and edgy. This edginess with Martin and Incognito contiued outside the locker room, where mainly in the off-season and around the Dolphins’ organized team activities (OTAs), the two communicated with thousands of text messages and hundreds of voice mails. Many times; let’s just say “unprofessional” comments were used, reportedly causing both, especially Martin to become bitter. Inevitably, everything boiled over on November 2, 2013  in the Dolphin facility; Martin came to the cafeteria for lunch and sat down. His teammates, playing a practical joke, all got up from the table and left. Martin, then slammed his lunch tray down, left the facility, and did not come back. Now weeks later, Incognito is indefinitely suspended, Martin has retreated to California with his parents, the NFL is investigating, and who knows what will happen next. All in all, surrounding the people and events of the Incognito-Martin situation, is the representation of, “Ignorance is Strength.”

    The three words in this statement may be just a reference to an Ingsoc party slogan in George Orwell’s’ 1984, but this slogan is an important one. This is from its meaning, where if you don’t focus on injustices placed on you, like the “Party” in 1984 with “telescreens”, “Newspeak”, and more, the stronger you’d be in life. It may sound crazy, but in this negative utopia, it kept “The Party” in power and the low-life, unknowing “proles” out of the picture. With this  same idea, we learned with the Incognito-Martin situation that the whole Miami Dolphin organization was ignorant of the problems ensuing around them. The players and coaches, as the investigation has been progressing, seemed to be the center of this problem. As the accounts of bullying came out and interviews with the media were wanted, Head Coach Joe Philbin, Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and others, kept referring to the two as “best friends” and the bullying being just “usual locker room business and player toughening up.” Many also said, “The NFL locker room is different than the usual workplace…,” so, “…The standards are different.”  And with all the reports coming out about what has happened, I keep thinking to myself, ‘Are you kidding me?’ How, in a professional environment, can this kind of demeaning hazing be present and you  not even recognize it or help out; let alone covering it up and now; lying about it. The Miami Dolphin organization is ultimately too embarrassed to admit how wrong they were when they knew about Martin’s emotional problems. This shows complete ignorance, which keeps the organization “in the clear,” and allows them to move on with their everyday lives without being scrutinized, giving them a “lift.” This was also the case with Richie Incognito himself in his interview with Jay Glazer; a week after he was suspended indefinitely after the lunchroom situation.  In this FOX interview, Incognito kept playing dumb and referring to Martin as his, “Best friend,” and that if he were to talk him again, “Give him a big hug…,” and ask, “Dude, what’s going on?’” All this says is he’s oblivious in what he was doing and the problems he was causing. Also, NFL locker rooms are so close that Incognito is just trying to keep the heat off, not receive scrutiny, and keep his dignity. Which he has none of after this and past incidents at the University of Nebraska and with the St. Louis Rams. Honestly, the whole situation is beeing handled completely wrong and the team and Incognito should be punished.

   So, as the cloud hangs over the Dolphin locker room and news media personnel storm the team facilities, the NFL continues to investigate.  And you know what? The NFL is also being ignorant of what’s going on; because you know how much progress has been made by the NFL? Zero. There’s been no further news and reports that have come out except the investigation is; quote: “Ongoing.” Just look at stories on NFL.com and other news sources; it’s unbelievable. How can such high standards be set by the NFL to make a “world-class” league, and all they do is to try to let the Incognito-Martin situation “slide by.” Well that won’t be possible, because it shows unforgivable negligence and ignorance. I seriously hope the NFL can resolve this, but at least show some priority and get to the bottom of the question, "What’s happening in the Dolphin locker room and is it happening elsewhere?" The NFL is awesome, but if they don’t get their act together, there be some real questions for the credibility of the league. All I’m saying is we don’t need more problems, and in the end, people want answers. People also want  the Dolphin organization to be men, and admit their faults. Until then, problems will continue, credibility will be in question, and the Miami Dolphins and the NFL will hold the slogan: “Ignorance is Strength.”