It seems like right around this time for the past three years Sean is posting updates on how close the team is to avoiding a blackout.  Other people are posting links to where you might be able to watch the game online, and I'm posting a retread post about how (if you live anywhere near Detroit) you should avoid the blackout by just going downtown and catching a game live and in person.  Anyone know what the official blackout rules are.  Hopefully we won't have to worry about it this year.  The official website makes it look like almost every game (with the exception of the Chargers game) has only single seats available.  The club seats are still available for the 49ers game, but I didn't think they had to sell those out in order to keep the game from being blacked out.  I know this is pretty much a waste of a fanpost, but I'm trying to decide if I need to get tickets to any more of the home games and I was hoping someone could enlighten me on the blackout rules.  Thanks. 

Ok, before you tear me apart for the title of the post, please read through the body at least.  Yesterday's game was the best/most exciting victory I can remember since Schwartz' 2nd win against Cleveland two years ago (not including their week 1 victory against the Bears last year).  What amazed me more than anything was the tale of two halves, and really the tale of two teams.  I am all for the positivity and excitement surrounding the win, but you're kidding yourself if you don't believe the Lions played the 1st half of yesterday's game like the "Same Ol' Lions".  I also think the "Same Ol' Lions" showed up in the 2nd half, only they were wearing those fruity purple jerseys this time. 

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Disclaimer:  This post is barely about the Lions so please feel free to comment, disregard, or recommend it's immediate removal from POD.  I just have to get this off my chest and I've always found this spot to be great therapy when my brain is fried after another Lions game.

For starters, I couldn't be happier that it will be over a week between games.  Normally I'm annoyed during a bye week, or the week after the Thanksgiving Day game simply because I'm anxious to get back to football.  This time, I need a breather.  Like many of you, I suspect, I have a tough time not getting emotionally wrapped up in this team (good or bad).  This past Thursday, however, I went WAY over the top and for that I offer my apologies to the Interweb in hopes that I can begin to forgive myself for my actions.

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Here we go....I think most of us can agree that the game against the Bills was one of the worst showings thus far this season. They've now lost their 7th game of the season, and this one comes against a woefully bad previously winless Buffalo team.  That's 25 straight road losses for anyone who has been living in a bubble and the team is likely without their franchise QB for the remainder of the season.  Dallas appeared to show signs of life after the Wade Phillips firing and had an outstanding game on the road to beat a very dominating looking Giants team.  New England took it to Pittsburgh, Chicago beat Minnesota and Green Bay is playing outstanding football in spite of all their injuries.  Tampa looks much improved and Miami took out a very good Tennessee team just this week.  After seeing the way that Detroit played against Buffalo, I'm concerned that this team is dangerously close to entering a free fall.  After reading the comments following the game, it looks like the fans are somewhat split on the current condition of this team with reactions to this lost being polar opposites of eachother.  Some are calling for heads to roll, while other appear to just open their bag of excuses and conveniently find a way to put a positive spin on another loss.  It would appear that most are not somewhere in the middle, but I'm curious to see where we are now as a fanbase.

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I am soooo jealous!  I'm jealous of the Jets fans for their victory against all odds yesterday.  I'm jealous of the Packers fans for cheering on what appears to be the best team in the division in a prime time game. Hell I'm jealous of the Browns fans, for doing what our team could not yesterday.  To a lessor extent I'm even jealous of the Bills fans, at least when your team is that bad your expectations are extremely limited (none of us have forgotten the 0-16 season yet...have we?).  Most of all I'm jealous of the people who walk around with their heads held low today for no other reason than the fact that it should be just another crappy Monday.  At least their voices aren't hoarse from screaming, their hands aren't sore from smashing them together, and they don't have this hole in their heart like their dog was run over by their (ex)-girlfriend while she was stealing their truck on her way out of their lives.  OK, maybe I'm confusing this loss with a terrible country music song, but hopefully you get the point.

What is it about Lions games that I allow myself to get so emotionally tied up in?  Maybe it's just part of a being a Lions fan, maybe I'm just a fanatic, maybe I just need to have my head examined, but every Monday following a Lions game I find myself perched on a proverbial ledge either enjoying the view or considering the jump.  Speaking of jumps....

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The blackout rule affects mostly “local” fans, the problem being that “local” can mean anything but “even close”. Having said that, I stopped letting the blackout ruin my Sundays years ago. I posted a similar fanpost last year, but with this being the first blackout of the season this year (and hopefully but not likely the last) I will re-iterate my statements from a year ago:

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"You see that burning swamp over there?  I want you to build me a home in it!"

That might as well have been the way William Clay Ford approached Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand when he decided to hand over the keys to the Detroit Lions Empire.  Realistically, Mr. Ford inherited a fortress built on top of a mountain, but it needed a good cleaning so he slowly chiseled away at it until all he had left was a flimsy straw hut built on some soft ground below.  Then he did what any 75yr old grandson of a wealthy industrialist would do, hire Matt Millen to fix the problem's he created over the last 36yrs.  We are all too well aware of what Matt's solution was:

1)  Set the hut on fire.

2)  Flood the land to try to put out the fire.

3)  Keep throwing building material at the flooded ground, while the fire is still burning and hope that you win a Super Bowl.

How that strategy failed is beyond me?

But as Snoop Dog says, "back to the matter at hand".  Mayhew and company are not being asked to rebuild with a foundation in place, they're not really being asked to start all over again on solid ground.  What they've been tasked with is building something that most of us have never seen, a Championship NFL team, and oh yeah...they get to build it in the middle of a burning swamp.  

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I won't hide it...I'm a Lions fan!  <please read further>.  Earlier this season the Lions played a game for bottom feeder supremacy in which they eventually added another loss to their record after dropping a game to a very beatable Rams team.  Oh...and they did this at home.  The game was appropriately named "The Toilet Bowl". 

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Okay, Sunday is over...the Lions suffered another loss and most of the dust has settled from Monday's most disgruntled fans (myself being one of them).  Being the NFL junkie that I am, I couldn't help but watch what the NFL was claiming to be an NFL game on Monday night between the Baltimore Ravens and some team wearing jerseys the same color as the excrement they were playing like. 

After the debacle that took place against the Rams I can't possibly go out on a limb and say that the Lions will absolutely, without a doubt, come away victors this Sunday against what could be the "other" worst team in the league.  This much I am confident about...these are two pretty lousy teams getting ready to bump heads this Sunday at Ford Field. 

I did a comparison like this after the Rams game and was shocked to see that it predicted an outcome similar to what actually happened on the field that Black Sunday.  Basically I looked at the team stats (prior to the game) and compared one teams offense to the other teams defense.  Hindsight is always 20/20 or better though, so that isn't even remotely impressive.  Here's what that very crude comparison has to say about the upcoming game against the Browns.

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Posted on 8/4/2009:

Premature Prediction

Those first 10 games will tell me everything I need to know about this team:

7-3 (or better): The team finishes with 50+ wins this year, and has a legitimate chance of trading for a player to help them get back to Championship caliber by next season.

6-4 : The team finishes above .500 and probably a four seed. They win the first playoff series with home court advantage, but get bounced easily by either Boston or Cleveland in the second round.

5-5 : The team finishes below .500 and ends up playing Orlando, Boston, or Cleveland in the first round losing in 5 games.

4-6 : The team wins just enough, and the East is just weak enough at the bottom for this team to sneak into the playoffs. They get swept in the first round.

3-7 (or worse): Makes a run at the eight seed late in the season before a mysterious injury happens to inflict one of their starters, they trade another starter to a contender and hope to re-start the rebuilding process in the off season (this time with a lottery pick). Kuester doesn’t finish the season as the head coach, and Joe D will “resign” as Pistons GM.

For the record, I really think this team goes 6-4 at worst!

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So we're halfway through the season and rather than scattering thoughts across several different posts I'm just curious to get everyone's opinion at this point.  In an utterly cliche way of asking: Is your glass of Kool Aid half full, or is it half empty? 

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In spite of the title, this will not be another one of my rage filled rants about some mundane story that may have nudged me a little too close to the edge.  I've actually seen evidence of this discussion before on Pride of Detroit, but a recent radio show has further peaked my curiosity. 

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Dominic Raiola is beginning to remind me of...well, honestly, no one is quite like him.  Number 51, starting Center for the Detroit Lions, is now a resounding 32-102 for his professional career.  No, that's not a typo...32 wins, 102 losses.  To be fair to The Dom, he wasn't actually named a starter until his second year in the league.  Since that time, however, he hasn't missed a single one of those wins or losses.  The rise and fall of Joey Harrington, Matt Millen, four head coaches, and what was once a proud franchise and fanbase...the former second round pick has been there through it all.  One would think that through all that chaos, one might gain a little perspective, a little understanding, and possibly even a little insight to the frustrations of being a Lions fan.  Instead...following what should have been an embarassing, humbling loss to the worst, correction, the second worst team in the NFL Dominic Raiola found himself in yet another screaming match with fans in front of the smallest home crowd in two decades...let alone the history of Ford Field.  Congradulations Dumbinic...you've just won yourself a clue.

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Here we go again.  The Lions are facing off against what will likely be just their second win (so far) this season and only their third win since the 6-2 start during the 2007-2008 season.  Due to the NFL Blackout Rules a lot of you will be robbed of the opportunity to sit in your favorite game day chair and watch the game in crystal clear HD on your big screen TV that ironically enough you purchased mostly for watching football.  Some may not share my opinion, but frankly the NFL Blackout Rule is Bull$#!t and serves virtually no real purpose at this point.  Regardless, there are ways of seeing the game. 

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After reading through several comments on "The Mess Miguel Cabrera Got Himself Into" I can't help but be suprised on some of the varying opinions.  Not that I like to think that I have my finger on the pulse of the Detroit Tiger fanbase, but I figured there would be more of a consensus on this one.  The purpose of this post is my attempt at structuring some of these opinions without hijacking Mr. Casselberry's story any further.  Without being able to include more than one poll on any given post I am stealing this idea from a post I saw on a Pride of Detroit blog earlier this year.  Below is listed what I believe to be the sources of controversy involved with this story, I would love to get everyone's opinions on each of the items.

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Words are not actions.  Performances on the field will always outweigh everything that is said or thought off the field.  When it is all said and done, the only thing that really matters is that in competition there is almost always a winner…and consequently a loser.  The reaction of those with any vested interest in the outcome of these competitions, can vary greatly with results.  Often, when the competition is close, some believe that the back-and-forth of the competition itself is just as rewarding as achieving victory over your opponent.  Thus, the so called “moral victory” does exist.  For most, however, the “moral victory” is a myth…and the only true victory is the one that stems from proving superiority over your opponent throughout and by the end of the competition.  While I have previously put myself in this latter group, I think I may have to change my own stance…and hopefully can change the opinion of some of those who may not believe in the “moral victory” either. 

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I have my own opinions on the matter, but I am very curious to hear what Tiger Nation has to say:

While it appears the Tigers have managed Magglio Ordonez's playing time well enough to get him close to the end of the season, what happens if he gets hot...I mean REALLY hot!?  The full power may not be there yet, but it does appear like he is swinging the bat a whole lot better (.378avg./.594 slugging over his last ten).  Even his outs seem to be getting hit a lot harder than they were earlier this season when it seemed like every other at bat was a softly hit ground ball resulting in an inning ending double play. 

Believe it or not (and frankly I really can't believe it), the Cats are very much in a penant race...scratch that (pun intended)...they are leading in a penant race!  While myself, and I think a lot of other Tigers fans, have been enjoying the success this season (especially after the dissapointment that was the 2008 season), I've been sort of wondering when that other shoe is gonna drop.  We can debate numerous reasons why this team does not really look like a first place team, but this fact is indisputable: as of mid-August the Tigers are in first place in the Central division. 

I think by now everyone is aware of Magglio Orodonez's contract situation: 540 plate appearances, or 135 starts guarantees him $18 million for next season.  Considering there are only 48 games left on the schedule for this season, it seems like Ordonez's time can be managed closely enough to finish things out.  What if...and I don't think this is too much of a stretch at this point...this thing comes down to the wire, Ordonez is hot, and Tigers need his bat to get into the playoffs?  Imagine the situation: Mags is on the bench with 539 plate appearances, the Tigers are down by one with runners on second and third, two outs in the bottom of the ninth at home against the White Sox on October 4th, winner is in, loser goes home, Adam Everett is up to bat...Leyland is on the dugout phone speaking with Mr. Illitch. 

I'm afraid you've officially gone off the deep end. 

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Just wondering if Penguin fans would rather see this series stretched to seven games considering the lack of success they've had at the Joe?  I mean wouldn't you want the chance to at least applaud everything your team has accomplished while they skate off the ice for the final time this season?  Not to mention the fact that if the Wings are going to win it, do you really want to give them and their rabid fans the satisfaction of celebrating it together?  Or maybe you'd rather extend this series to seven games just to give the Wings everything they can possibly handle, make them really earn the Cup.  There's always the third option, probably your preference no matter how unlikely it seems at this point: Penguins dominate the game at home like they've done so far, they find a way to turn things around at the Joe, keep their compusure and bring the Stanley Cup back home with them.   Again, it seems unlikely at this point so I am just curious as to what everyone's preference would be?

This post pretty much goes downhill from here, so I'm hoping you'll accept my apologies for wasting everyones time.  I saw this earlier today online, while I was being paid to do something much different than I was actually doing, and I just don't even know what else to say.

What would it take to land the 1st overall pick in the 2011 Amateur Draft...er...scratch that, the 2010 Draft?  Verlander, Jackson, Granderson...what?!  I'm sure as baseball fans at least some of you have heard of this kid, if not already read the SI article, but for those of you who haven't; this literally sounds made up.  I remember when SI did the write up on Lebron James his sophmore year, thinking that it was ridiculous what they wrote about him.  Then I saw James play... he actually looked like he was limiting how high he jumped for fear of hurting himself on the return trip to earth! 

I won't go into detail because the article pretty much punches the kids ticket to the Hall of Fame, but needless to say there is plenty of stuff available online.  Including this video.  You'll have to be patient through the ads, but if you're a fan of dingers this is out of this world!

Again, this is hardly relevant to the Tigers since the Nationals will probably lock up the number one pick for the next two years with their awesome play.  Still, If you had a chance to get the next Mickey Mantle, what would you be willing to give up?

I've really got no comment here other than to say I'm extremely excited at this prospect.  I thought he was going to be released following the rookie mini-camp, but I can't find any news on his release yet.  What worries me is that the Lions will pass on him for the same reason that the Steelers are releasing him, he's never really been used on 3rd downs.  As much as I'd like to see him as a Lion, I suppose it hinges somewhat on what they would have to pay him, and for how long.  If he's not the long term solution I don't know if I want to over pay for a guy who is only playing two downs....Wait....what did I just say?  I'm the same guy that was whining up a storm that they passed on ReyMa!  Screw it, sign him and give him #20 if he wants it! I don't want Jordon Dizon or Levy as my starter!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09124/967522-66.stm?cmpid=MOSTEMAILEDBOX

Or should I say Good Luck Lions Fans?

I hate the Green Bay Packers! Probably not for the same reasons that most of you do?  If the Packers had just gotten it right, then they would have taken Barry Sanders instead of Tony "Roidboy" Manderich, and I probably wouldn't care so much about this God foresaken team.  Barry Sanders started as my lone reason for tuning in every Sunday, but he was a helluva reason!  He was almost good enough to single handedly make this franchise credible.  I honestly mean no offense by this, but sometimes I read the posts on this site and wonder how old some of you are?  While I'm almost certain that you were all at least alive while Barry was still in his prime, did you really get a chance to watch him play?  It makes me sad to think that there might be some of you who have only gotten to know this franchise in the days following the premature retirement of the Great #20. What follows the sadness is a curiosity for why in the world are some of you following this debacle of an organization?

I love everything Detroit!  In my thirty years here I have an unquestioned loyalty to the sports that represent the city (even if some of them do it from Auburn Hills).  I know this because of some of the BS that these teams have put me through: the Deadwings of the eighties, the 2004 Tigers, post Grant Hill Pistons (followed closely by the joke of a team that had on Pistons jerseys this season).  I can justify my loyalty to these teams for what they've given back in return: 4 Stanley Cups, 3 NBA Championships, a World Series Title, and countless of other memories that will last me a lifetime.

The Lions have given me, and my Parents for that matter, Barry Sanders and ONE playoff victory!  This is apparently JUST enough to counter the fact that they also gave me Matt Millen, who in turn gave me Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Jeff Backus and a winning percentage that makes Curtis Granderson's .241 batting avg look like MVP material. I love the fact that so many of you are still thinking positively, hoping for the best, and coming down hard on people like me who like to mix in a little reality once in a while.  Maybe I'm misinterpretting enthusiasm for inexperience, youth, and a lack of understanding.  It's just hard not to when you read comments about how critical a TE is to a championship caliber team, or how Delmas is the next Ed Reed, or even the hundreds of reasons why Matt Stafford is going to be the man that drags this franchise out of the gutter and into a Super Bowl.  The truth is, if any of this was a fact then these players wouldn't be Lions.  The Lions don't do things right, they don't draft the right players, and they sure as hell don't win championships!

Best of luck to those of you who believe that this is the start of them turning around fifty years of futility.  It truthfully hope you're right, and I'll be tuning in every Sunday to find out.  Maybe for those of you who only know the post Barry Lions, you'll finally have a justified reason for watching.  Who knows, Stafford, Johnson and Smith may have an Aikman, Irvin, and Emmit like run.  I just wouldn't hold my breath, because I've seen this story before.  No.....
...as for me, I'll be right where I am year after year, wearing out that #20 jersey and cursing the Packers for the fact that I have it in the first place!

  What the hell...GO LIONS!!!

Say what you want about Matt Stafford.  I'm not yet a fan, but I'm not going to argue that he has no potential.  However, if this is supposed to be our franchise quarterback I think the Lions could have done a lot more to help him out if/when it's finally time for him to step in and be the player we need him to be.

   Defense wins championships! This is really not open for debate.  Nor is the fact that the Lions had one of the worst defenses in NFL history last season.  They probably got marginally better in the defensive backfield through free agency and trades, and while they improved at linebacker, they downgraded at defensive tackle.  We can argue these moves, but by the start of the draft you would have to be a little nutty if you could honestly say you were comfortable with Jordon Dizon at MLB, Chuck Darby at DT, or Damion Cook at left guard.  That is not to say that they were "good to go" with the rest of the positions on this team, but these three players weren't even good enough for the 0-16 team of last season!

   The Lions could have addressed all three of those positions with the first three rounds, but ignored need for what they perceived to be the best players available.  Nevermind that the Lions don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to scouting, maybe the players they got really turn out to be nice players (and I sincerely hope that they are).  The reality is, the defense is probably just as bad now as it was before the draft and even if their marginally better you're still looking at a team that will CONSTANTLY be playing from behind.  They won't be able to run the ball because they'll always be playing catchup, and the offensive line won't be able to keep out the opposing team's defense because they will be teeing off on every play. 

   I'm still not thrilled with Stafford, but if he's here I would like to see him get the time to develop rather than throwing him in the deep end to see if he can swim.  Unfortunately, I think he will be starting a lot sooner than he should be.  With no real help on either the offensive or defensive line, Daunte Culpepper is going to be running for his life in that backfield.  When he goes down, and this is a "when" not an "if", I bet ya Matt Stafford is going to be wishing he had a defense that could hold an opponent under 30, a running game that could keep the clock running, and a left side of the offensive line that he could trust for long enough to show off that rocket arm!