Santa thinks the Lions are looking nice

Santa and his reindeer showed up in Motown early.  It has been a rough decade in Detroit, so Santa had to double and triple check his list to make sure that Lions should get some sparkle over coal.  Despite all of the naughtiness from Ndamukong Suh, Santa decided that overall the Lions were nice. 

I agree.  The Lions are really nice.  They only needed to win on Saturday to clinch their first playoff spot since 1999.  With that in mind, they demolished the San Diego Chargers and extinguished their hopes of going to the playoffs.  Lions QB Matthew Stafford, had three touchdown passes with three different receivers, tight end Brandon Pettigrew, running back Kevin Smith and super star wide receiver Calvin Johnson, known as Megatron.  The Lions are so nice that Megatron matched a single-team record with 15 touchdown receptions.

So, after years of coal in December, Santa finally gave Lions fans a little sparkle during the holidays.  It must feel like the most wonderful time of the year in Detroit.

Ciao! 

Heels & Helmets®

Detroit Lions have impressive draft performance

Over 250 college players were drafted to play for NFL clubs over the weekend.  Cam Newton as expected went first overall to the Carolina Panthers.  Several teams draft performances standout in my mind.  The New Orleans Saints strengthened their running game by drafting Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram.  The New England Patriots took Ryan Mallet in the third round.  Like the current starting quarterback in New England (Tom Brady), Mallet studied at The University of Michigan and is a pocket passer.  He will either shadow Brady for years or be good trade material.   The Cleveland Browns acquired a fast wide receiver (Greg Little) and gave the defense a little boost with a new tackle (Phil Taylor) and end (Jabaal Sheard).  But, the team that impressed me the most was the Detroit Lions.

The Lions have been at the bottom of professional football for years.  They have been bad for so long that I am afraid to say this because I do not want to jinx them, but I think the football gods are smiling on the Motor City. 

Two weeks ago the NFL released the 2011 regular season schedule and the Lions received their first Monday Night Football (MNF) game in over a decade.  There are rumors that the game was a sign of gratitude for the franchise graciously hosting the Vikings – Giants game that had to be relocated because the Metrodome collapsed.   But, who cares?  It’s not always how you get it, but what you do when you get it.

With their first pick in this past weekend’s draft, Detroit was able to select Nick Fairley, a defensive tackle from Auburn.  This is a huge help to the Lions.  Last season they were ranked 21^st in total defense in the league.  Having someone to help 2010 rookie of the year, Ndamukong Suh, on defense will improve that ranking.

Lions fans should be very pleased.  The first pick was not a quarterback or a wide receiver.  The Lions are clearly focused on defense.  If the football gods are truly smiling on Detroit, Matthew Stafford will rehabilitate well, not injure himself again and lead Detroit to the playoffs this year.  Now we just have to wait to see if we have NFL football this fall.

Check out all the draft selections.  What do you think of your team’s picks?

Ciao!

Heels & Helmets®

Is Roger Goodell really walking the talk?

Last Friday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Tom Lewand, President of the Detroit Lions, for 30 days for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.  Lewand was arrested in Roscommon County, Michigan for suspicion of DUI on June 25 with a blood-alcohol level of .21, more than twice the legal limit in that state.  He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired last month.  As part of his discipline, Lewand was also fined $100,000 and must participate in community service.

When the incident happened, many wondered if the commissioner would discipline an executive for DUI.  In reply to media inquiries, Goodell confirmed that the personal conduct policy is not just for players, but also for all employees of the NFL, including himself.  Since then, players have been watching and listening intently to see how Goodell would handle the situation.  Well, the commissioner walked the talk and demonstrated that he is serious about all NFL employees upholding the personal conduct policy.  I’m just not sure that it was with the same pace or swagger as it would have been for players.

While Lewand was hit with a hefty fine and will not be able to affiliate with the team for 30 days, I do not think that this is as damaging as a penalty that a player would have faced.  Sure, Lewand will not be able to go to the Lions’ facilities, attend games, participate in league meetings or represent the Lions publicly unless it is a community service event focused on alcohol abuse and safe driving. However, none of this starts until August 25. 

How is this punishment?

Lewand’s suspension begins after training camp. 

After two preseason games. 

After rookie contracts are negotiated and signed. 

These are important activities for a team president to participate in.  So, he will not be in the meetings when rosters are cut down to 75 players on August 31.  He will not be included in the discussion to cut down the roster to 53 players on September 4.  However, after participating in training camp and witnessing new players in a couple of preseason games, I’m confident that he will be able to share his opinion before his month long departure.

Yes, Lewand will miss the Lions’ first two regular season games at Chicago (September 12) and at home against Philadelphia (September 19) before returning to his responsibilities on September 24.  However, this is not detrimental to Lewand or the team.  A player missing those two games would be. 

Goodell made an attempt to walk the talk, but I will not give him kudos until he removes executives from the decisions or activities that they play a key role in as part of their discipline.  Lewand’s suspension is like suspending a player in April and saying that he cannot attend voluntary OTAs.  (Who cares?) 

Lewand not being permitted to finish the negotiations for, Ndamukong Suh, the Lions’s first round draft pick, would be more comparable to players missing some games.  Imagine the Lions without their Juris Doctor and math-wiz in the boardroom negotiating the deal for the 2^nd overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.  The guy who has negotiated player contracts totaling more than $1 billion.  This would be damaging and show that Goodell is really walking the talk.

Ciao!

Heels &  Helmets