SB Nation User Blog: ahtrap

Nightmare Revisited

ahtrap — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:51:31 -0000

For ages, way down deep in the darkest recesses of my psyche, I've carried around a mental image of Sterling Sharpe streaking down the right sideline of the Pontiac Silverdome, and settling under a Brett Favre bomb, and sending the Green Bay Packers on an ascendent path culminating in a Super Bowl win, and sending the Lions on to a decade of boom or bust futility that, in retrospect, compared to this decade's utter futility, almost seems like a golden age.

I recall that play with an absolute, and horrible clarity, it was the moment that Barry Sanders' Super Bowl dream, for all intents and purposes, died forever, and the moment that set the path leading to where the Lions are now. yet, until last night, I remembered very little else about that game. At midnight central, aimlessly scrolling through the cable on screen channel guide, looking for something to peek at before heading to bed, I saw a listing for "NFL's Greatest Games" on one of the ESPN channels, and idly expanded the description, and "Lions vs Packers" caught my eye.

Instantly, I knew which game it had to be, and for the next hour, all thoughts of sleep were entirely banished. For it was one of those events that, even though you knew what would happen at the end, even though you knew your heart would inevitably be broken, you had to watch, to see how it had got to that point.

(As an aside, I'm totally that guy who'd watch game 5 of the 2005 NBA Championships on ESPN classic, the one where Sheed failed to close out the one guy, Horry, who's always going to take that one big three point shot that can beat you, even though I know that by the end, I will, as always, feel like putting my foot through the TV screen. That's just who I am.)

And so I watched the backstory, what with the Lions thrashing Favre and the Pack at the dome just the week before, to earn the Central Division crown and earn a home rematch against Green Bay, where a loss would have sent the two team to the frozen tundra. And I watched as Erik Kramer led the Lions down the field on the first drive, and had 6'4" Herman Moore 1 on 1 with 5'10" Terrell Buckley in the end zone, and failed to put any loft on the ball, allowing the shorter man to come away with an INT. I watched Chris Spielman and the Lions dominate the first half, get a lucky play or two to boot, the kind of thing that never happens to this team any more. I see the Lions dominate, but take merely a slim lead into halftime, and, as I know what will happen at the end, I rue all the chances that were left unfulfilled in the first thirty minutes.

I see the Lions take a lead into the 4th quarter, up 17-14, with time on thier side, with Eirk Kramer and Brett Perriman leading the way, I see the Lions get to the 5 yard line, and get ready to put the game away, and I see Kramer force a throw, not to the Inside, where Ty Hallock might have caught it and all but put a dagger through the Packers' collective hearts, but a bit outside, where George Teague is waiting, and watch him return the ball 101 yards for a TD, giving the Packers a lead.

(And I wonder why nobody in the NFL greatest games broadcast mentions the play that Teague, then a rookie, made in the national championship game against Miami just a year prior when he wrested the ball out of a pair of Hurrican hands and take the ball in for a TD en route to the Bama NC).

But, you see, i know that isn't the end, because Favre made a come from behind miracle happen, so there must be more Lions fireworks yet to come. But I'm lamenting the fact that the Lions let the Packers get away with yet another red zone foray turning into zero points.

I see Erik Kramer lead a fantastic drive down the field to regain the lead for the Lions, and I know what's coming. That play, the one that gave me nightmares when I was 18 or 19. Alll my hyperbole isn't to suggest that detroit would absolutely have beaten San Francisco the next week or taken down the Cowboys juggernaut then heading to their 3rd super bowl win in three years.

But maybe they couldhave stopped the Packers from rising as they did? Who knows. I watched in horro as the Packers return man broke a tackle inside his own ten and got a decent return out of essentially nothing. I saw the clock roll towards a minute with the Packers still on their side of midfield, wondering desparately what the could do to get to Chris Jacke's field goal race.

I watched as Favre surveyed the field, scrambled to the left, and as the he was still moving, launch an awkward BOMB into the Silverdome's furthest reaches. And I watched, as ever ingrained in my psyche, in my nightmares, Sterling Sharpe still caught up to the ball, to the desperation heave, and he settles under it, gathers it, and turns to look back at the rookie corner (Kevin Scott, apparently) that he's left behind in the dust en route to his third TD of the game.

It is as painful today as it was back then. I'm paying for it even now, 13 hours later, because after watching that, I didn't manage to fall asleep for hours. I had to scribble up part of this, I just had to get that nightmare image out of my head.

It didn't work, I'm seeing the play in my head right now, even as I'm exhauted, trying to not doze off at work, and I'm thinking, it's rather fitting, in that I'm sick and tired of the entire Lions franchise being downtrodden, a laughingstock.in the league. I still blame that one play as getting all the dominoes falling, leading to where the Lions now lie.

Part of me wishes I hadn't watched the program last night, the other part of me like that I now have context in which to fit that play. Overall, though, it just feels like a scab has been ripped off, and a wound re-opened....

Did Chris Miller throw a TD on his first pass, too?

ahtrap — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:42:11 -0000

I don't even remember when Chris Miller played, (in the late 80s, maybe) but I distinctly seem to recall that he made his debut against the Lions, and where I was at the time, and the fact that he lit up the Lions in very short order.

Couldn't really tell you who won the game, but it was a running joke amongst me and some of my friends who were watching that day, talking about Miller, and how he fooled everyone by looking so good in his debut, because people forgot that it came against the Lions.

What I can't find with a few minutes of googling, though, is whether Miller threw a TD pass on his first attempt, or on his first drive at the helm of the Falcons.

Thought I'd throw it out to you guys, see if anyone remembers the start of the Chris Miller era...

(cheerfully stolen from a gene wojciechowski colum over at espn.com, because it's...

ahtrap — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:50:53 -0000

(cheerfully stolen from a gene wojciechowski colum over at espn.com, because it's priceless....(

17: The most underpaid person in the NFL is …

Whoever had to write Millen's bio in the 2008 Lions media guide. Millen probably gave the author a choice: Scrub the Ford Field roof with a toothbrush or write the bio.

Excerpts from the bio:

• For Lions President and CEO Matt Millen, success in the National Football League is simple: "The team that wins the Super Bowl is successful and the other 31 teams are not."

(Well, isn't that convenient logic. So Millen is saying that the Lions' 7-9, nonplayoff 2007 season was the equivalent of the Patriots' 18-1 record -- all because neither team won the Super Bowl? Uh, Matt, Lions fans would eat artificial turf if you'd guarantee them a Super Bowl loss. These people haven't seen the Lions in the playoffs since 1999, and haven't seen them win a postseason game since 1991.)

• Millen also believes that no team can achieve that success without the proper leadership from its head coach …

(He should know; he hired three of them in his first six years.)

• … and that is why the decision to hire Rod Marinelli in 2006 may prove to be the very best move Millen has made during his tenure as team president.

(Or not. The author left some wiggle room there.)

• During the Lions' head coaching search, Marinelli distinguished himself as the type of individual Millen believed was clearly needed to lead the Lions.

(Millen to Marinelli during interview process: "What type of individual are you?"

Marinelli to Millen: "The type who believes I'm clearly needed to lead the Lions."

Millen to Marinelli: "You have distinguished yourself.")

• Millen saw in Marinelli a head coach who would emphasize the game's vital elements, including what Marinelli refers to as the "non-talented characteristics" that players must possess in order to be successful in the NFL. Since then, Millen and Marinelli have worked in concert to formulate a roster of players who embody the "football character" qualities Marinelli adamantly deems are necessary for success in the NFL.

(Seriously, $100 to anyone who can tell me what the hell they're talking about.)

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3565175&sportCat=nfl

I voted for Penguins three times for the ESPYs

ahtrap — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:45:46 -0000

http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/specialsection/espys2008/?addata=2008_espti_xxx_xxx_xxx_xxx

The above is a link to the ESPY ballot at espn.com, also reachable via a link on the front page of that site. I ended up voting for some of your guys, or your team on three separate occasions, just letting you know in case you needed to give your guys a boost.

By contrast, I can only recall voting for a red wing related choice once.

Heck, I even voted for Crosby as the best hockey player, over Pavel Datsyuk. Had Zetterberg been on the ballot, I would have voted for him, but not Datsyuk.

For your convenience, in case you just want to fill out the ballot sections related to the Pens, Crosby's up for his winner against Buffalo in the winter classic under "Hummer nothing else like it" category, both he and maklin are among the nominees for best NHL player. The third instance was under "Best Finish", for the 3OT game 5 to stave off elimination, which I think could have been nominated under best game, too, even though nothing is touching the Super bowl.

That said, it was nice to cast a (however hopeless) ballot for the Wings as Best Team.

Highs and Lows

ahtrap — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:41:29 -0000

Just perusing the schedule to date, and noting a couple of things, about where this Tigers team roller coaster has taken the squad and its fans this season so far. There have been a couple of definite valleys, along with a moment or two where a glimmer of hope has shone through the gloom, thought I'd point those out before the next turn of the wheel takes the kitties up further towards the promised land of .500 baseball (hey, when all else fails, set the bar low and go from there, right?), or deeper into the depths of baseball purgatory.

The opening stretch to the season was a definite low point. Who among us didn't perhaps look ahead a week on the schedule, when Boston loomed as the first big test of the season for our 1000 run Tigers? Well, I didn't, but that's probably because I don't usually know who the Tigers are playing on a daily basis. Just lazy, I guess....but it seems that maybe the Tigers were overlooking the Royals as, well, the Royals, and the White Sox as being yesteryear's team, and Detroit just came out of the gate and stunk up the joint. By the time they go to Boston, and got shut out for the second time in a season in which the offense was supposed to be unstoppable, the bloom was certainly off the rose.

But Detroit fought back from that, and on May 1, after sweeping the Yankees, the record stod at a respectable 14-15, the Twinkies were on the schedule, and the apparently unbeatable Armando Gallarraga was on the mound.....and he got crushed, 11-1. errr....oops? It was straight downhill from there, and quickly, the Tigers found themselves in an even deeper hole than they'd dug in the first week of the season, ploughing down to 17-27, and later, to 24-36, an astounding 12 games below .500 in a year where we were expecting to contend for the crown.

But then things turned around. A little. A split with Cleveland, two sweeps in a row, and suddenly, the skies are a bit bluer around Tiger fans. 9 of the next 12 games are against NL West bottom feeders San Francisco, San Diego, and Colorado (all with worse records than the Tigers! I'll just keep to myself the reminiscence of what happened the last time the Tigers played the NL West in interleague play....hint, it was 2003), and there's a chance here that that .500 barrier can actually be breached.

Who knows what will happen thereafter....if the Tigers get on a roll through this stretch, the next set of games after that, save for a holiday weekend set against the Mariners (always good for the bottom line) comes against a pair of division rival, Minnesota and Cleveland, a chance to make some hay in the Central.

We all know how well getting hopes up have worked so far this season....but hey, what can I say, as a Detroit sports fan, unlike most everything else in life, I am an optimist....well, except in the case of the Lions, where all I can say is....FIRE MILLEN!

But these Tigers....they could make some noise in the month upcoming....we shall see.....

Proof that Detroit IS Hockeytown

ahtrap — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 06:19:25 -0000

AP story posted on espn's site, I'm quoting it in full because it's pretty short....But basically, this is the highest rated Stanley Cup Finals in the last 6 years....since the Red Wings were last in the SC Finals.

There were concerns, including in my head, about the fact that the Red Wings and the Pistons were pitted head to head....but at least for Game 3, the first game where the series was carried on NBC, the Wings beat the Pistons for ratings.

That brings a smile to my face, for sure...love the 'stones, definitely, but the Red Wings are #1 to me....

AP story after the jump

(AP)

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins' first victory over the Detroit Red Wings on NBC drew the best overnight rating for a third game of the Stanley Cup finals in six years.

Pittsburgh's 3-2 win on Wednesday night earned a 2.8 national rating and an 18.2 rating in Detroit, beating out the 15.9 rating for the Pistons' matchup with the Boston Celtics.

Game 5 of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals drew a 5.3 national rating.

The rating is the percentage watching a program among homes with televisions, and the share is the percentage tuned into the broadcast among those households with TVs on at the time.

The combination of Games 1, 2 and 3 have made this the highest-rated and most-watched opening games of the Stanley Cup finals since Detroit faced Carolina in 2002.

The rating for Wednesday night's game represented an 87-percent increase over last year's Game 3 between Anaheim and Ottawa.

Wandering Wings fan checking in

ahtrap — Wed, 21 May 2008 06:50:49 -0000

The SB Nation Wings blog is deader than the team was pre-Yzerman, and I've been hanging out at previous opponents' blogs for earlier series, so I thought I'd do the same for the Cup.

I figure I can live up to the agreement I just checked, to keep it clean, whatnot. Haven't seen too many of your predictions yet, they're probably buried under all the "new look!" notices.

Me, the whole postseason I've been pessimistic about the Red Wings' chances, partly due to years of expecting them to win only to see them fall short. This year, I figured they'd lose to San Jose and maybe Anaheim again, only to those teams knocked out in preceding rounds. I figured they'd win against Dallas, since Turco hasn't been any good in the state Michigan since he graduated from the University of Michigan after carrying us (I'm a UM grad from that time frame) to two NCAA championships.

But then, in the Stanley Cup finals, the Wings are matched up against the only Eastern Conference team I feared, your militant Pengweeners (cookie for any who knows the reference). So once again, I'm pessimistic, thinking your kids will run circles around our veterans, and you'll steal a single game in Detroit to take the cup in six.

Here's hoping I'm wrong again!

Looking forward to interacting over the next couple of weeks....

Jealousy is...

ahtrap — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:11:49 -0000

Clicking over to let's go tribe and seeing dozens of comments on all the front page items, if only because the Tigers blog I read (Bless You Boys, also on the SB Nation network) is far less trafficked.

This is really just a test of the SBN upgrade's newly enabled ability to easily join in on other sites' conversations, as opposed to the previous scheme where you had to join each blog discretely in order to post.

That said, I look forward to the '08 season, with the Tigers and Indians battling it out for AL Central Supremacy, and look forward to interacting with you guys as the season progresses.

So close, and yet...same old Lions

ahtrap — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:35:26 -0000

Bumped from the diaries... I couldn't have said it better myself. The Lions were literally 18 seconds away from having a shot at making the playoffs.

Look at the standing, and you'll see a 9-7 team getting into the playoffs, with the NY Giants holding the top wild card spot at 10-5 currently, likely to finish at 10-6 after the Patiorts complete thie historic season. And then there are the Lions, currently at 7-8 on the heels of their devastating collapse after the "almost-had-us-believing" 6-2 start.

For the first time in forever, specifically since Paul Edinger's 50+ yard field goal paved the way for the Matt Millen error...I mean, era, Lions fans can actually indulge in a game of what might have been without completely deluding themselves.

The Lions will finish a game, or at worst, two out of the playoffs, and there are certainly two games on thisyear's schedule that could or should have gone a different way. Obviously, other teams can whine about Lions victories that they might have and probably should have taken (Tampa Bay comes to mind), but I'm looking at the Lions close calls here.

The two I'm thinking about are the games against the Giants and the Cowboys. In the first, it was an ugly game all around, but the Lions, down 16-10 late in the second half, had the ball twice, two chances to take it down the field and to finish the Giants. It was one of the games that could have had a domino effect, sending the Giants tumbling to another collapse, and Tom Coughlin to the unemployment line, but it wasn't to be. Twice in the final minutes, Jon Kitna turned to the 5'10" Shaun McDonald in lieu of Roy Williams or the 6'5" Calvin Johnson. The first time, the qb threw a jump ball to McDonald, who happened to be defended by a guy 6 inches taller than he. Short story maddening, the taller guy won the jump. That's usually how those things go.

The second, and last gasp attempt to McDonald occurred in Giants territory. A few more yards, and you haev a conceivable attempt at a hail mary. But instead, the ball goes through McDonald's hands, and the Giants escaped Ford Field with a victory they sorely needed, and used it to catapult themselves into the playoffs. I figure their stay there with be short, but they're in, and the Lions, well....

The second maddening game came against the team that will end the season with the best record in the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys. Say all you want about jason Witten, but if you stuff Terrell Owens and hold Crayton down and keep Barber in check, and have Jason Hanson lining up a 35 yarder that would essentially put the game out of reach, and have Witten fumble at the goal line when the Cowboys were on the verge of taking a lead with a few short minutes to go and then have Romo fumble in their last gasp attempt and have that fumble go straight to Paris Lenon....you'd think the Lions could win that game.

But no. Sadly, no. Maddeningly, all too familiarly, not so much. It's the Lions. And as is their wont, they found a way to lose to the Cowboys, and Jason Witten. And Jessica Simpson's boy toy.

Maybe a word could be said about the Arizona Cardinals game, but negative rushing yards rerally doesn't cut it in the National. Football. League. But those two games above, they definitely fit into the category of woulda coulda shoulda, had to have it when you already did most of the work types of games that in previous years could be overlooked because the Lions were nowhere close to the playoffs. But this year, they hurt all the more, just because the Lions were right there in the playoff chase, because they were 6-2 at one point, and now face the very good possibility of finishing, yet again, under .500. And because, dammit, at 6-2, they almost had us believing.....not quite, but almost....and that, for a Lions fan, is more than we could say for a long time.

But after all, these being the same old Lions, we're left with the refrain, hey maybe next year thye might be able to sneak into the playoffs.

From Lions draftee to Astronaut

ahtrap — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:54:25 -0000

Found this on ABC.com, a nice little story about an athlete with a plan and a real career after he left the game. Posting about it here because there's a line in there about how Leland Melvin was originally a Detroit Lions draftee out of Richmond University back in 1986.

Maybe we should hire this guy instead of Millen....at least he's got a brain. Gotta wonder, if the Lions lose this weekend, and given the different directions the Lions and Cowboys have taken over the past 4 weeks, that's likely, even if the Lions have won this matchup the past two years, when will the first "fire Millen" chants of the year be heard?