NFL Football 2009

[gh4chiefs]

You guys are probably due for some winning in KC. It's been a tough last few years for the Chiefs, without a real starting QB and serious offensive line problems. The defense hadn't been too solid either. Given Scott Peoli's success in New England, I'd expect him to start turning things around. But it will probably take a season or two.

And I definitely know the Chiefs have been struggling in recent years, because they're the last team the Lions managed to beat, back in 2007.

Well we got kind of spoiled in the 90s with Schottenheimer's teams because nearly every year until 98, he would have us in contention. But after Marty's departure, except for 2003, it's been mighty slim pickin's. You want to believe that the magic can return but it's been so long now, it's hard to imagine being a contender again. 97 took a lot out of me as a fan, I had really let myself believe that was the year. I'll go to my grave believing that if Marty would have just stayed with Gannon through the playoffs that he could have won it all that year. I've still been a fan since that time, but I've never let myself be a believer again.

In 2003, when we started 9-0, I remember being at a game late in the season vs the Raiders and saw us fart around for 4 quarters and just barely beat them, and I knew in my heart at that moment that 2003 was going to yet another "Wait until next year" year. Sure enough, playoff time rolled around and we were "one and done" yet again.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Another Lions fan? Thats hard to believe! What are your thoughts on going 0-16 last year? I was actively rooting for it once they got past 0-5. You think there will be any kind of turnaround this year?

It's not often I get to pick the brain of a fellow Lions fan on this board...

Restore the Roar!

I can't imagine being a Lions fan. So many years of endless drudgery. You had to put up with one of (if not THE) worst run franchises in all of professional sports for more than a decade. Every time you get any kind of glimmer of hope, everything just falls apart.

Like last year, for instance, you had all these bold preseason predictions of them winning 11 games and the division and then they go out and lose 'em all.

It seems things are setting up the same again this year. As of now, the Lions have all been written off. It's going to be a three (Well, two team.) race for the division and the Lions are not one of them. But, sure enough, the new stud quarterback will pull an amazing upset early in the season and they'll string a few wins together. Then, once all hope is at its peak, they'll administer the dreaded fourth quarter collapse and then just fall apart completely. You can pretty much write it in stone.

Ah, Lions fans. I almost feel sorry for them .... almost.

 

[Commander Vaughn]

^Thats pretty much a perfect summary of what it has meant to be a Lions fan during my lifetime. I wasn't old enough to really care about football until the 2001-2002 season. So my exposure to Detroit Lions football has been the Matt Millen era. And it hasn't been pretty.

The Lions are masters of the fourth quarter collapse. They always find a way to come from ahead to lose. Aside from last season, where big beatdowns were the norm, Detroit would always find ways to lose close games. It was heartwrenching. Now, it's what I expect. And I laugh when it happens. Since it's what always happens.

 

[Neroon]

So which team is going to sign Michael Vick, now that he's conditionally reinstated?

 

[gh4chiefs]

^^I'm eager to see what your new def coordinator is going to do. Gunther was a long time staple in KC, including a brief stint as HC. He seemed to be a decent DC under Schottenheimer, but no so much under Vermeil and Edwards. Hopefully he can help you out.

 

[tomalak301]

So which team is going to sign Michael Vick, now that he's conditionally reinstated?

I hope to god it's not the Niners, even though they need a QB. Just for football reasons, is Vick in shape to retain the role of starting QB again? For non-football reasons, we've already had a media circus in San Francisco once before. We don't need another one. Hell, the first media circus might not be done yet.

 

[gh4chiefs]

So which team is going to sign Michael Vick, now that he's conditionally reinstated?

This seems like the kind of move the Oakland Raiders would make.

 

[Commander Vaughn]

^^I'm eager to see what your new def coordinator is going to do. Gunther was a long time staple in KC, including a brief stint as HC. He seemed to be a decent DC under Schottenheimer, but no so much under Vermeil and Edwards. Hopefully he can help you out.

Hopefully he can do some things. I'm not sure if the personnel are there for the defense to be very good, but hopefully Gunther schemes things well.

As for Vick, I doubt anyone will sign him as a starter. He's been out of the game for too long. It would be best for him if he got to back someone up for a season before getting back to a starting role. It also helps keep the media circus down, since Vick will be back in the league, but won't be playing regularly. In a year or so, everyone will have largely forgotten, and moved onto the next big story. Which will probably Brett Favre's yearly saga of whether or not to return.

And as gh4chiefs said, if any team is taking him as a starter, it's Oakland. Al Davis is crazy.

 

[SmoothieX]

My Labrador Retriever just asked me to post that he doesn't want to see Vick on the Pats.

 

[Mallory]

So which team is going to sign Michael Vick, now that he's conditionally reinstated?

This seems like the kind of move the Oakland Raiders would make.

I agree as well. This is just the kind of boneheaded move that Al Davis loves to make.

 

[CorporalClegg]

^
He does love speed.

 

[Danny99]

Another Lions fan? Thats hard to believe! What are your thoughts on going 0-16 last year? I was actively rooting for it once they got past 0-5. You think there will be any kind of turnaround this year?

It's not often I get to pick the brain of a fellow Lions fan on this board...

I was rooting for them after about 0-7.

As much I want Stafford to come in and be Ryan/Flacco, I have a hard time believing it. I'm thinking 4 wins tops.

 

[SmoothieX]

I can't find a link to it, but have you guys seen the Detroit Lions undefeated preseason champs t-shirt out there? It's comical.

I was really rooting for the Thanksgiving game last year to be 11-0 Titans vs. 0-11 Lions. The Titans lost the week before, but the game was hideous anyway.

 

[Mallory]

Yeah, I think Stafford is going to be in for a long season. The Lions just seem to have too many other weaknesses to make any kind of serious run this season. But hey, that's why the play the games. So who knows?

 

[CorporalClegg]

The Lions in a nutshell:

 

[Davros]

Go Broncos!

 

[CorporalClegg]

So it's offical! Favre is not going to be a Viking.

Time to roll with the T-Jacker!

 

[gblews]

^
He does love speed.

...and big arms, which Vick has in abundance. But the Raiders already have a bunch of quarterbacks, otherwise I'de say sign the guy. He is still a major talent. And you know Al Davis could give a flying "F" about politically correct.

A writer in the L.A. Times mentioned the Niners, New England, or Parcells' team, since he like Al, doesn't care about what folks would think about it. Anyway, I'm willing to bet some team will eventually sign him even if it's not until after the preseason after which there are usually QB injuries

 

[Pegaritaville]

So it's offical! Favre is not going to be a Viking.

Time to roll with the T-Jacker!

Of course, after all of the Favre crap, Tavaris Jackson's going to be even more of a head case than he was before. Doesn't give your starting QB a lot of confidence when you spend half the summer talking about dumping him completely.

Maybe the Vikes should look at going after Vick. They've had plenty of felons on their roster in the past.

 

[Commander Vaughn]

You'd still think the Vikings are the favorite to win the NFC North. The Bears have Cutler now, but I still think Minnesota has a better all-around team. Either way, it'll be an interesting division race, thats for sure.