For as long as I can remember, Calvin Johnson has always seemed to be pretty quiet. He doesn't say much, he doesn't talk trash, and he lets his play do his talking for him. One thing that has always concerned me is his lack of a connection on this team. He never talked about his future with his Lions and just seemed....unhappy. With his contract expiring after next year, would he want to stick around?

Well, lately i have been seeing something that gives me confidence that he will. His attitude is looking totally different. I think he is meshing with the other talent on this team and it is making him feel like he's finally at home.  He talks about the Lions as if they are HIS team, instead of the team he is currently playing for. 

We, as the Lions fanbase, appreciate Calvin Johnson for all he is. Now I think Calvin Johnson is starting to appreciate the Lions for who they are- and are going to be. He's looking like a happy LION. 

Here's a link to the Lions postgame press conference. What do you think? 

I know that today marks a really sad day for true Lions fans. We lost one of our best in Tom Kowalski today. I just read this report on mlive: http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/tom_kowalski_detroit_lions_die.html

I am deeply saddened knowing that he is gone. I hope he knew how appreciated he was, and how much joy he brought to people with his service to the Lions community. 

Rest In Peace Tom. 

I thought it would be cool if we shared some stories about how we became fans of the Detroit Lions. Maybe it happend over time, or maybe there was a special moment in your life that you can look back on and say "thats where it started"...

When did you become a fan of the Detroit Lions?

There were two times in my life that really came together before I started following the Lions. The first one: Thanksgiving! My entire family (uncles, aunts, cousins, grandma's grandpa mom dad, ect ) would get together on Thanksgiving and watch the Lions play. It brings back memories of seeing my whole family together, which is a lot harder to do as everyone gets older. 

My second one would definitely be the 0-16 season. I was one of the people that were rooting for the Lions to make history by going winless. But it wasnt because i wanted to see them be completely pathetic, it was because I wanted to see them become the greatest turnaround story in sports history. 

Thats my story of fanhood....Whats yours?

At first glace, it would be easy to say the lions did something really stupid by drafting a position where we were strong. But as you look deeper into it, you can see what it does:

1. A few weeks ago Mayhew hinted that the person they pick wont necessarily start, and they would be keeping the future in mind when drafting him. Though Nick Fairley will be a starter, its easy to see where they kept the future in mind. Kyle Vandenbosch has an intensity around him that is contagious. Getting another Elite talent for Vandenbosch to rub off on is a great idea. He wont be around forever, and if he is the attitude setting the tone for Fairley's career, WATCH OUT! This pick could solidify a top defensive line for a long time. 

2. Though the draft isnt over, I'm already looking forward to free agency. We still have needs at OLB, CB, and a 3rd Wide reciever. I feel like the Nick Fairley pick is going to make Detroit a target spot for defensive players. When you have such a hot line, it makes the job of the other players much easier by putting pressure on the quarterback and forcing bad throws. We saw this last year, and this year we will see it more. Because of this, I feel like CB's  and LB's will have a hard time saying no to our Detroit when Schwartz comes knocking. 

3. My last comment is about Da'quan bowers. In 8 hours and 50 minutes we are going to find out where he ends up. I know the injury concerns are high, but if we can pick him up in the 2nd round, I dont think we should hesitate. I remember thinking how awesome it would be if they picked him up with the 13th pick. Now, after reading comments about him from GM's around the league, I would love for him to be the pick in the second round. 

What do you think? Da'quan Bowers is still available. What should we do?

Here's a Link to the full story

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6330778

Highlights:

The judge ruled the mediation will be held in Minnesota (for those of you keeping up with the situation that favors the players wishes).

The mediator's name is Chief Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan.

The talks begin this Thursday. The judge has still not ruled on whether or not to lift the lockout. 

Also noted, the judge said any talks would not have an effect on any future proceeding. Simply put, this allows the players to still be considered a trade association, and not a union, when it comes to legal proceedings. 

I'm sure most of you, as myself, were disappointed after seeing flashes of downright brilliance from Best and then seeing him drop off the radar completely. 

According to this article http://www.freep.com/article/20110327/SPORTS01/103270628/1049/rss14

from the Freep, Schwartz acknowlaged Javid Best was limited for over two months because of his injuries. 

After a nice rest, here's hoping that we see Best come out both experienced and injury free; I'm expecting him to have a beast of a season this year. 

As everyone here knows, football is made great by the fans. 

So why should we as fans sit by and do nothing as the NFL is preparing to go without a 2011 season?

I have created a petition, you can read it here

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/NFL2011

The more people who sign this, the more effective it is going to be in helping our 2011 season get underway. 

Together, we have a voice that can make a difference!

I am scared that this time next year, we are going to be wishing that there was 2011 NFL football season. I think this next season could be our breakaway year, if there is one to be had. I just keep thinking it would be just like the lions to have so much talent going into 2011 and for there to be no season. I am especially worried about the thought of Calvin Johnson leaving. We do however, have until the end of the 2012-13 season to show Calvin Johnson that the Lions organization is a playoff/superbowl contender.  I just dont want to lose him on our offense. He's just so quiet of a guy that it concerns me of what he might be thinking. What that means for us is that we would have either one or two seasons to prove that the Lions are the best team for him to be on. Has anyone else been thinking about this? or is it just me? 

Here's a link, right on sb nation home page 

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/4/6/1408236/redskins-trade-albert-haynesworth-money-100-million

I am not personally interested in bringing his attitude to Detroit. Though I agree he is a heck of a player and could help our defense, I personally dont think that his attitude would be good to bring around Suh or Delmas (or any of the others on the team for that matter). I'm sure we all know the connection between Schwartz, Haynesworth, and Vandenbosch at Tenessee, so I wont talk about that much.  I'd like to explore a different avenue. I am kind of interested in the possibility of a three way trade where we receive a different player for one of our future picks and Haynesworth gets shipped to a different team. I know there are endless possibilities when  talking about a three way trade, but I would still like to know who you would like (realistically)  to see come to Detroit that would be of comparable value to Haynesworth.  Would that player be worth picks alone or also one of our current players? 

For those of you that are concerned about the lions last two picks they made, here's a a link.

http://sports.yahoo.com/video/player/nfl/19301409;_ylt=ArjMOGT0GC9aP.yCVcdK7kM5nYcB#nfl/19301409

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Hey everyone, Here's a Link discussing the Redskins talks about trading Haynesworth. Would it be worth it to us if we could get him for our 2nd round pick? I cant imagine what that would open up for us with no 1 and how amazing our defense could look this year.

Lions, Bears, Packers, Vikings, Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Rams, Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Titans, Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Chargers

Apparently, Bradford has been gaining some weight! here's a link to an article discussing it.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Bradford-s-weight-could-have-him-flying-up-the-b?urn=nfl,224453

If he throws well, it makes him much more appealing at qb.

Heres to Hoping!

This next sentence, is completely useless. Please, stop reading this. Good news, this article is now just about 75 words long. 74, 75.