Dear POD'ers:

This week all the talk has been focused on Staff's injury and whether or not to shelf him for a game, 2 games, rest of the season or play him despite his injured shoulder.  That got me to thinking about memorable Lions injuries.  We cannot forget Reggie or Utley for sure or the fact that Charlie Batch ALWAYS seemed to be playing hurt.  I remember Mike Cofer playing with a cast on his hand.  The injury I remember most (on Thanksgiving I think) was when Barry injured his leg.  This leads me to this weeks trivia question:

Dear POD'ers:

Visiting my parents in Utica, NY this holiday my father remarked how truly amazed he is that I have stuck with our beloved Lions after all these dreadful years (I had worn all my Lions gear, as I do every Thanksgiving, for the game against the hated Packers).  After all, it was he who took me to a Detroit Lions training camp in the summer of 1977 looking to entertain a needy, bratty, highly energetic young kid (my father was in the Air Force and travelled quite a bit).  Needless to say I fell in love immediately, the players, the uniforms, the colors, the Lions logo, etc.

Anyway, I have always had a fondness for the 1977 Detroit Lions team - I think of it as my base year for my fandom (I was 4 years old at the time). 

ANSWER:  The placekicker was Steve Mike-Mayer.  He also had a brother who had a more succesful career in the NFL as a kicker Nick Mike-Mayer.  Doug English was a Lions DE, Dexter Bussey was a Lions RB and Leonard Thompson was a WR with the Lions (remember him and Freddie Scott??   LOL)

Dear POD'ers,

It's Thanksgiving and that means only one thing - Lions football.  Come to think of it two things:  Turkey and Lions football (sort of sad not having Madden call the games though).  As I make my way up to Utica, NY to visit the family, my girlfriend and I have all of our Lions gear packed and ready to wear PROUDLY on Thursday (well me anyway, not convinced she's fully on board yet).  Anyway, I hope everyone on POD has a happy Thanksgiving!!  I hope to talk to some of you guys during halftime of the game on POD.  I'm hoping for a miracle here but a Win would be HUGE!!!!    GO LIONS!!!!

ANSWER:  Alas, as our wonderful moderator Sean pointed out the Lions certainly didn't go 3 - 10 in the 1990's on Thanksgiving!!  LOL.  I meant 3 -  7 (sorry mistype).  The answer is the Lions actually went 7 - 3 during the 1990's on Thanksgiving.  Not a bad record.  Some great games were included - the smackdown Barry put on the Bears, the "Coin Toss" game vs. the Steelers, the dismantling of the Patriors (pre-Brady of course), etc..  Let's hope for some more great memories tomorrow!!!

Another week of licking our wounds fellow POD'ers as we got physically outmuscled by the Vikes.  Here's to a W this week (hopefully) against a team (Cleveland) who is almost as inept as our beloved Lions.

Anyway, I usually think of the 1990's as good, solid years for the Lions.  They were consistent playoff threats and always seemed to be on the brink of exploding, but never reached those anticipated heights (we were sort of like the Texans over the past several years).  Anyway, sandwiched in between playoff appearances in 1995 and 1997 was 1996.   I remember this season in particular because I felt hopeless as the Lions found unbeleivable ways to lose games during the season (sound familiar??)  All of this losing, of course, after starting the season strongly, entering the bye week at 4-3 (I think) and posting impressive offensive statistics. 

However, coming off the bye we lost every game the rest of the season except one (the only reason I remember this is my brother was living in this city at the time and he called me to congratulate me). 

Well it's been a long week thus far as the Lions lose another one.  For sure the recent loss at Seattle can be pinned on Staff's 5 interception game.  Staff's forgettable performance has invariably led to comparisons to Joey "Blue Skies" Harrington and his awful tenure as a Lions QB and subsequent draft bust status (however unwarranted the similarities may be they're their).  Nonetheless, this got me thinking back to the 2002 draft.  At the time many of the pundits were saying the Lions were better off picking this player instead of Harrington.  I was pulling for Millen to pick this player too (I was never a Harrington pick fan) but, alas, Millen took Blue Skies and the rest is horrific history. 

ANSWER:  Quentin Jammer out of Texas.  There was much debate surrounding the Lions 3rd overall pick and it centered around Blue Skies and Jammer.  I was desperately pulling for Jammer but Millen took Blue Skies and essentially ruined the next 5 years of Lions football.

Dear POD'ers:

Well its clear that we are all a pissed of bunch of fans due to this weekends loss to the Rams.  Some on the site are losing faith in this season and frankly so am I.  In fact I was gonna call this a loss to the "lowly Rams" but that would evince that we (the Lions) are truly beneath lowly and I honestly don't think we are (but unfortunately the W/L record proves otherwise). 

ANSWER:  the Lions last won the Central in 1993, just 2 years removed from going to the NFC Championship game.  In 1993 they hosted the NFC Wild Card and lost on a last minute TD heave from Favre to Sharpe in the corner of the endzone.  That play broke my heart.  I can remember it to this day - I beleive it was a blown coverage by Tim McKeyer if I remember (I will have to check that though).  Also of note, 1993 was the last year that NFL teams had 2 bye weeks during the regular season.  I think we should go back to that format if that's what the Lions need!!!!

Fellow POD'ers:

Well we had a week off and I hope we get a W this week against the Rams.  I was reading some stuff on Coach Schwartz and I have to say I really like him.  I like his style, his intensity, his intelligence and his demeanor.  Like most of you I wasn't always happy with the coaches we've hired and fired.  For example, our winningest coach is also our all time losingest coach (of course W. Fontes).  However, we have had some colorful coaches during the years (NOT Marinelli) which brings me to this weeks trivia question.

ANSWER:  Bobby Ross.  Kudo's to IAmGross who not only actually got the coach right but also the game after which Ross had his tirade (after a loss to the Miami Dolphins.)  I remembered that game as well!!

POD'ers:

As we watched this week our Lions get manhandled by the Packers it became painfully obvious to me (as well as others from my readings) that without Staff and Megatron there really we really have no offensive threat (well K Smith but with 8-9 man fronts anyone can be stopped).  We're lucky to have Megatron and a QB like Staff (who likes like the real deal) to get him the ball.  We need those 2 back in a hurry!!!!  Enjoy the bye week guys and REST UP STAFF AND MEGATRON!!

ANSWER:  As most of you alluded to REGGIE BALL was indeed CJ's QB at the Wramblin' Wreck and was most atrocious.  Ironically he was picked up by the Lions as a WR (maybe CJ asked them too??) but never made an impact and was cut.

POD'ers:

Another week and another HUGE game for the Lions.  I really hope Staff plays well and we finally beat these guys at Lambeau.  That also got me thinking about how good Stafford may become given what he's done so far during the first four games of his NFL career.  Showing a lot of promise and getting all of us very excited about a FRANCHISE QB.  That got me thinking about past Lions signal callers.  Its well documented that our last QB to go to a Pro Bowl was Greg Landry (thanks Jazzy)  (although I think Scott Mitchell should have went in 1994 - CONSPIRACY!!). 

ANSWER:  All of the QB's below started at least one game for the Lions with the exception of Rick Mirer, who was a third stringer for a year on the Lions and never saw any game action.

Seeing Mike Utley on the sidelines during the Pitt-Lions game yesterday brought me back to my saved newspaper clippings of that fateful Sunday.  He was a good player and his accident seemed to be so freakish and most notably so innocent I still wonder how he was hurt so badly on the play.  Truly a sad day for him and his family, the Lions organization and the NFL as a whole. 

ANSWER:

The Lions were playing the LA Rams  when Mik Utley was paralyzed.  It seemed like the most innocent of plays when it happened.  I remember watching the replay on Sportscenter a million times.  For those that answered NY Jets  - I think thet were playing the Lions when a defensive linemen (last name Byrd??) was paralyzed.