Posts Tagged ‘Detroit Lions’

NFL Mash Ups: NFC North Personas

Sunday, September 7th, 2014

by WingFan

Wingfan

 

 

 

Teams have personality. Between the owner, the coach, the players, and the fans, a team develops certain behaviors. As we approach the official beginning of the NFL season, WingFan would like to welcome you to opening day of the NFL season by walking you through each NFC North team and our assessment of their persona. Let’s take a look at what each team brings to the table:

 Team:  Green Bay Packers

Persona:  Jack Nicholson 

Jack Nicholson as Col. Nathan Jessup

Jack Nicholson as Col. Nathan Jessup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You want an answer?   You want the truth?  The Green Bay Packers are the truth – but “you can’t handle the truth!”  The Green Bay Packers are one of the few teams, if not the only team, to have success over a multitude of decades dating back to the 1920’s.  Jack Nicholson is one of only two actors to be nominated for Academy Awards in every decade from the 1960’s to the 2000’s.  The Packers were founded in 1919, their team name is the oldest team name still in use by the NFL, and their 13 league championships (9 NFL and 4 Super Bowls) are the most in NFL history.  Nicholson has amassed 16 major acting awards including 3 Academy Awards, 6 Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.   In short, Colonel Nathan R. Jessup of the US Marine Corp isn’t as decorated as this pair of legends.

The Lombardi Trophy

The Lombardi Trophy

While Col. Nathan Jessup was looking for A Few Good Men, Vince Lombardi, the legendary head coach of the 1960’s Packers team, actually found a few great men.  He led them to five championships in one decade including 3 NFL Championships (’61, ’62, ’65) and the very first two Super Bowls (1966 & 1967) ever.  The shiny silver Super Bowl trophy that everyone hoists in the air after they win is actually called “The Lombardi Trophy” in honor of the late great Vince Lombardi.  Jack Nicholson does not have a shiny trophy named in his honor, but he does have a pair of Lakers courtside season tickets that might be considered by some to be just as prestigious.

Vince Lombardi

Vince Lombardi

There’s so much about the Packers and Nicholson that can’t be overlooked.  The Packers have a “get it done” spirit and great leadership from legends like Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Willie Davis, Ray Nitschke, Brett Farve, Reggie White, and Aaron Rodgers.  The city shuts down on game day like the box office shuts down when Nicholson played the Joker in Batman.  Packers are actually the only team in American sports that is owned by its fans – it’s a public company with over 100,000 shareholders and managed by a Board of Directors.  No person can own more than 200,000 shares which ensures that the team can never be moved from the small city of Green Bay, Wisconsin.  In a league where all other teams represent cities whose average population is closer to one million, leaving a team in a city with 104,057 people might sound like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest but in reality, the Green Bay Packers are As Good As It Gets.

Team Name:  Chicago Bears

Persona:  Sean Connery

Sean Connery

Sean Connery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bring out the bagpipes, turn the river green, and grab your finest Scotch.  Sean Connery has been polled as the “Greatest Living Scot” and Chicago is a city with a great Scottish history.   While the Chicago Bears franchise is older than Sean Connery, their ages aren’t off by much – the Bears were established in 1920 and Connery was born in 1930.  Before diving further into the career of Connery and the success of the Chicago Bears, these two were paired together because they were originators in their field and kept their “sexy” through the years.  Americans have kind of minimized the idea of winning NFL Championships before the Super Bowl era, but the Chicago Bears won eight titles and then won a Super Bowl title in 1985 – that’s nearly a decade of championship performances.

Sean Connery as James Bond

Sean Connery as James Bond

Sean Connery’s signature role was as one of the first theatrical action heroes – James Bond (007).

Bond was an innovative character whose physical stature was no match for bad guys and whose intellect seemed to get him out of bad situations.  The 1940 Chicago Bears innovated the quarterback position by drafting a guy from Columbia University named Sid Luckman. He was athletic enough to cause defenses to overreact and made quick enough decisions to capitalize on the defenses’ mistakes.  Bond always kept a new invention up his sleeve for sticky situations, while the Bears invented the “T Formation”, which lined up three running backs in the back field, standing shoulder to shoulder.  These inventions were part of the reason 007 and the Chicago Bears became such exciting personas to follow.

The 1985 Bears

The 1985 Bears

In 1985, after the early years were long gone, the Bears invented a brand new dance called the Super Bowl Shuffle.  They won the big game and were led by arguably the greatest defense of all-time.  That defense was like a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with so many outstanding players: Richard Dent, William Perry and, of course, Mike Singletary.  After the Bond films were long gone for Sean Connery, he went on to lead one of the greatest careers in Hollywood history – The Untouchables, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Medicine Man, Rising Sun, and of course, The Hunt for Red October.  The Bears and Connery have aged well.  At the ripe age of 69, People Magazine named Connery “Sexiest Man of the Century.”  This year, the Bears are considered a sexy pick to make it to the Super Bowl.  The question is, will this year be the year they are named “Sexiest team in the NFL.”

Team:  Detroit Lions

Persona:  Chris Brown

Chris Brown

Chris Brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The City of Motown deserves a talented performer and Chris Brown has all the talent in the world, but the reason these two were paired together has more to do with their attitude than their talent.  The Lions are a very talented team that run, pass, and catch with some of the best in the league.  Detroit is also one of the oldest franchises in the NFL, being founded in 1929, and having won four NFL championships prior to the Super Bowl era (’35, ’52, ’53, ’57).  Like many other teams in the NFL, they have never won a Super Bowl and seem desperate for attention just like a young up-and-coming performer.  To his credit, Chris Brown did earn himself a Grammy and three AMAs but you’d never know it by the way he carries himself – the Lions kind of act that same way about their league championships.

Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders

When you talk about talent, there are only two Detroit players that you need to know:  Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson.  These two players represent the kind of talent Chris Brown brings to the stage in “Kiss Kiss”, “Look at Me Now”, and “Forever”.  Barry Sanders is a retired Hall of Fame running back that redefined “fancy footwork” and became one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game.  His ability to change directions was like no other before him.  Some years, Barry would carry the team to the playoffs almost singlehandedly just as Chris can almost carry an entire performance with his dancing alone.  Chris can also make his voice soar as high as Calvin Johnson leaping for a pass in the end zone.  Calvin and Barry are two of the greatest talents the NFL will ever know, and they have both been trapped in Detroit lacking support like Diana Ross with no Supremes, Lionel Ritchie with no Commodores, and Gladys Knight with no Pips.

Ndamukong Suh stomping a defenseless opponent

Ndamukong Suh stomping a defenseless opponent

In the NFL, the team with the worst record in the previous year gets to have the first pick in the next year’s draft and the Lions have had 8 top ten picks (they finished the previous season with one of the ten worst records).  The tragedy of having talent is wasting it on top 10 picks like Charles Rodgers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, and even Andre Ware.  What’s worse is that the Lions and Chris Brown just can’t seem to control themselves and stay out of trouble.  The Lions are habitually one of the most penalized teams in the NFL and Chris Brown can’t even make it through Good Morning America without letting a chair or two fly through the window.  Ndamukong Suh, the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and the Lions’ defensive leader, has been known for drawing penalties for his lack of control: hitting quarterbacks late, kicking players in the privates, and stomping on the heads of his opponents.  Most of us have the ability to look past one outburst by a celebrity (even if it’s Rihanna bad) but consistent outbursts of rage make us all wonder who, or what, raised you?   Yup, the Lions are just like Chris Brown, they think they are relevant but haven’t really done anything memorable yet.

Team: Minnesota Vikings

Persona: Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Vikings are the team most likely to look at their opponent and say, “Go ahead, make my day”.  The Vikings of the late 1960s/early 1970s were led by a legendary defensive line called “The Purple People Eaters”.  This era was like the spaghetti western days of the NFL except there were fields of “frozen tundra” instead of the wild west ( – tumble weeds and all.  Tackling an opponent evolved a lot during this era, where hard hitting defenses treated game day like it was high noon and you were about  to see The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

In those days, the NFL was more beast than beauty and defensive players had nicknames that sounded like Dirty Harry – they were some of the biggest stars.  Alan Page, Hall of Fame Defensive End and leader of the People Eaters, became the first defensive player to be voted Most Valuable Player of the Year in league history.  It was during this era that the Vikings won an NFL Championship in 1969 (pre-Super Bowl era), while establishing an enduring definition of “tough guy,” and subsequently losing all four of their Super Bowl appearances.

Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson

Being a Vikings fan is like having a Million Dollar Baby – heart breaking at times.  Currently, the Vikings are cursed with a supremely talented running back named Adrian Peterson.  He’s the most popular guy from Minnesota since Prince and the guy is making miracles happen every season.  For instance, Peterson tore his ACL in 2011, he then comes back from surgery in 3 months (takes most guys a whole year) and goes on to nearly break the NFL Single Season Rushing Record, ending up with 2097 yards – just 8 yards short of Erik Dickerson’s 2105 yards.  Peterson’s been sitting next to an empty chair for 8 seasons wondering if a quarterback will ever fill the seat.  This year the Vikings brought in veteran quarterback Matt Cassel to compete with rookie draft pick Teddy Bridgewater for the role of starting quarterback. Maybe one of these two can start directing the offenses as good as Eastwood directs the cameras.

 

WingFan, for War Room Sports

Mike Vick On Philadelphia Eagles’ OT Loss To Detroit Lions: ‘I Don’t Know What To Say’

Sunday, October 14th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

Disgusted and numb.  That’s how I feel after witnessing the Eagles let this game slip away and lose to the Lions 26-23 in overtime.  And that empty feeling you have in the pit of your stomach?  You get to live with that for the next two weeks.

The defense did a hell of a job containing Calvin Johnson until the 4th quarter.  Then Megatron did what he does best – be a huge offensive weapon for the Detroit Lions.  The fact that the Birds lost two starters in the second half – Nate Allen left the game with an injury and Fletcher Cox was thrown out of the game – had huge implications for the outcome of the game.

But let’s be honest: It’s not like Eagles were playing that great of a game before then.

On offense, not only did we see that Vick’s issues with fumbles were not resolved, but his interception problem decided to make a comeback as well.  For those keeping track, Vick has eight interceptions, five fumbles and has accounted for 13 of the Eagles’ 17 turnovers on the season.

There were flashes of brilliance thrown in with the moments of frustration that seem par for the course with Vick this season.  But what you can’t deny about Vick is his toughness.  Even though he took a beating behind this ragtag offensive line, he kept getting up and fighting.  But he has got to play better when he’s standing.

Philadelphia, we have a problem.

How do the Eagles fix it?  Can the problems even be fixed?  We have two weeks to mull the issue.  Now with a 3-3 record and facing the still undefeated Falcons after the bye, the future – at least in the short term – doesn’t look so great for the Eagles.

Mike Vick opened his postgame presser by saying, “I don’t know what to say.”  We don’t either, Mike.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and onFacebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

 

Mike Vick Carries Football With Him Everywhere To Fix Fumble Issue

Sunday, October 14th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

Holding on to the ball is one of the most basic concepts of football, yet it has posed very real problems for Mike Vick as of late.

How do you reinforce such a fundamental lesson to a professional athlete?  Get him to eat, drink, and sleep with the football?

Pretty much.  That’s what Vick has been up to this week to focus on being aware of hanging on the ball at all times.  The quarterback revealed his tactics to the media on Friday to add to his preparation for facing the Lions today.

Where all did Vick carry the ball?

“Breakfast, to the meetings, lunch.  Everyone thought it was funny, but I didn’t.  That’s how much I care about this team and that’s how much I care about our success and winning on Sundays.  I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that I take care of my responsibilities.”

Teammates tried to knock the football out of Vick’s hands to test him. However, he decided to end the exercise when, he joked, things got too serious and a bounty was placed on the football.

In addition to focusing on the physical feel of ball security, Vick studied what happened during his fumbles in Pittsburgh to see where he needs to improve.  And he is confident that his flak jacket is not contributing to the issue.

“I don’t think that [the jacket] had an affect on the ball coming out.  The guy put his helmet right on the ball.  With the second fumble, if I just go through my progressions, it would have never lead to that.  I went back and looked at all of the film with the turnovers that I had and what I could have been able to do to correct it, and they are all things to do to prevent it.  They are all things that could be corrected and it’s all self-inflicted.  I just have to trust in what we’re doing.”

Vick was also mindful of how others in the league were hanging on to the ball as he watched games throughout the week.

“I’ve taken tips from some of the running backs who carry the football.  I love football so much and with all the football I’ve watched  – this entire week I’ve watched guys carry the football – and everybody has it high and tight.  Even quarterbacks that I’ve watched.  It’s something that I definitely need to do.  There’s a comfort level that I’ve been able to develop when holding the football.”

To add to the work he’s already done this week in focusing on ball security, Vick should visualize a ’90s fade when thinking about what he needs to do to hang on to the ball: keep it high and tight, my man.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and onFacebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Lions-Eagles Preview: Taming Detroit’s Roar

Sunday, October 14th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

 

What happened to last year’s Detroit Lions team?  You know, the one that seemingly came out of nowhere to finish the season with a 10-6 record and make it to the playoffs?

That team is now 1-3 and are seeking an answer to that question themselves.  More importantly, they want to stop giving people reason to ask it.

For the second week in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles will face a team coming off of its bye and seeking to reclaim its season.  The Lions have arrived in Philadelphia rested and ready to roar, and it’s up to the Eagles to quiet their bite at the Linc.

The Lions are third in the NFL in total offense, averaging 412.2 YPG  but have little to show for it in terms of their record.  Detroit is averaging 25 points a  game, though, as compared to Philadelphia’s next-to-bottom of the league 16.  Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has struggled this season, notching more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3) with 1,183 yards after coming off a 2011 season where he tallied 41 TDs and 16 INTs for over 5,000 yards.

While we are all wondering what happened to all of the sacks we expected to see out of Philadelphia’s defensive line (they haven’t had a single one in two games and only have 7 this season), they have done well with the pass defense and have held opposing QBs to an average rating of 67.1.  Expect them to continue with the pressure but it would be nice to add some good, old-fashioned quarterback sacks to the mix.

Calvin Johnson, has 29 catches for a total of 423 yards this season but only has one touchdown, which interestingly did not come from Matthew Stafford but rather backup quarterback Shaun Hill.  The  elite receiver is still trying to find the chemistry to match the magic of last year with his quarterback and the Eagles must ensure that that does not happen on their watch.

It’s been no secret this season that the Eagles have struggled mightily in covering the best receivers of the game (I don’t even want to mention the Cardinals and Larry Fitzgerald, lest you have flashbacks.)  Megatron is as good as they come, matching physicality (he’s 6’5 and 236 lbs) with speed.  The Eagles have not gone into detail about their plans for covering Johnson but going one-on-one should not be an option.  All hands need to be on deck to limit the damage that Megatron can inflict.

The Lions have struggled to find a consistent running game this season with RB Jahvid Best out of action.  Mikel Le Shoure, however, is a significant threat,  running for 100 yards and a touchdown in his Week 3 NFL debut.  He was quiet the following week with just 26 yards but his potential is there and needs to be stifled.  MLB DeMeco Ryans and DT Fletcher Cox have been very successful at stopping the run and their efforts should be helped by the return of Akeem Jordan to the weakside.

The Eagles offense will see a similar look on the Lions defense, as Detroit also utilizes the Wide-9.  One of the team’s standouts on defense, tackle Ndamukong Suh, has recently received heavy criticism from an unnamed GM in the league for being overhyped, and it’s true that Suh has not dominated as he has in previous years.  He is still a force and the Eagles will face a pissed-off and slightly embarrassed Suh due to the comments and yet another off-field incident from Thursday.

I’m hoping he doesn’t get mad enough to stomp somebody again.

Detroit middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch has helped the Lions to limit the traction of opponents’ running  games, keeping them to 4.1 YPC this season.  LeSean McCoy had just 53 yards on 16 carries in Pittsburgh but the Eagles have tried to use the run steadily the past few games (hurray!).  For Shady to have any success the Eagles o-line has to find a way to fight a boy named Suh up front, meaning that he will keep Evan Mathis and Dallas Reynolds’ hands full all day.

It’s been well-documented what Vick needs to do today in order to lead the Eagles offense–hang on to the ball.  If he can do that and get the ball to playmakers like DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek, and perhaps Jeremy Maclin will want to make some noise in an otherwise quiet season, we will see an end to the low number of points the Eagles have been able to tally this season.  The offense needs to strike first and strike often to show that they’re being all they can be.

Like Philadelphia, Detroit is struggling on special teams, with the Lions’ unit having allowed 2 kickoff and 2 punt returns for touchdowns already this season.  Will the Eagles decide to shake things up on their own return game and finally oust Damaris Johnson in favor for Jackson on punt return duty?

A young  Lions team on the road facing a mountain of criticism from folks ranging from their fanbase to executives of another team faces another young team in Philadelphia that seeks to start its bye with a 4-2 record that makes it harder to question the possibilities for their long-term success.  The Eagles last home game was a rousing win against the Giants and the fans will be hyped.  Prediction: Eagles 33 Lions 17

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and onFacebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

NFL Week 14 Open Letters

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Grow up DeSean

Dear DeSean Jackson:

Although I love that fact that you are probably the fastest thing on two legs and that you are an employee of my team, The Philadelphia Eagles, I would totally appreciate it if you grow up.  Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing bad about celebrating on the field when you’ve just ran, what 81, 91 yards for a touchdown, but seriously, the falling back in the end zone?  I mean seriously?  Just play the game.  Not too long ago you weren’t really doing anything on the field.  You dropped passes, missed routes, you even got called out by your coach.  Look, I love your explosiveness, I even love your attitude (even when it’s funky), but you need to calm down on the excessive celebration (which cost your team 15 yards) and get down to business.  It’s funny because I said to my boyfriend, “what happens if the defense goes out and gets an interception or a fumble and he’s over there on the sidelines needing oxygen, falling all over the ground?  What he is going to do then when he has to go back out there?”  Low and behold the defense does their job and gets a turnover.  Now you have to go out there gassed with rubber legs, all because you wanted to be a highlight on SportsCenter.  Well I’m here to tell you DeSean, you want to get big boy money then start acting like a big boy.

Brady's Mop

Dear Tom Brady:

Everybody else may be sniffing your jockstrap, but not me.  I don’t like you.  Sure you’re breaking records, yes you are probably going to win MVP, it’s most likely that you’ll even go to the Super bowl and win, because apparently the who’s who in the sports world think so.  Well I don’t care, I still don’t like you.  I don’t like your uniform, I don’t like your smile, and I don’t like your wife or even your silly haircut.  You have everybody else fooled, thinking you are the ultimate golden boy, but you can’t be this perfect, nobody is.  Yes I may just be angry because my team can’t have the amount of success that your team has, but I don’t care, I still don’t like you.  You may be the best there is, but I can’t jump on the wagon.  I won’t jump on the wagon.  Maybe it’s because you won’t cut that mop upon your head because your wife said so, but when you were thanking everyone under the sun after the Thanksgiving game against the Lions, you could barely remember you had one.  Or maybe it’s because you bitch and moan when a defender touches you with the tip of his finger.  I don’t know what it could be, but I just don’t like you.

There's no pouting in football Mark

Dear Mark Sanchez:

Pick yourself up off the floor, dust yourself off, look yourself in the mirror and say “I am a NFL Quarterback.”  You are on the verge of becoming a joke.  You know how many 23-year-olds would kill to be you?  Stop pouting and get your head in the game.  You have ups and you have downs, that’s how the game goes.  Sunday, versus the Dolphins, you looked so defeated and you did it to yourself.  Your teammates look to you to be a leader.  If you want to be considered an upper level QB, then you need to become the presence on the field that you’ve been conditioned to be.  No longer can you fall upon the sword of novice because you are now a veteran.  Look at your mistakes and learn from them or you will become just another overrated wanna be quarterback who never lived up to the hype.

Stephanie C. Curry, Guest Blogger for War Room Sports

Thanksgiving Traged-ition

Friday, November 26th, 2010

In honor of the holiday, I want to talk about a question that has been posed to me several times this past week, but also a question that has been discussed in many sports circles in recent years.  Why is it, that on EVERY Thanksgiving Day, we football fans must be subjected to the NFL stylings of the lowly Detroit Lions?  Now don’t get me wrong…My Mother-In-Law is a Detroit native and a Lions fan, so for that reason alone, I lightly pull for the Kitty Kats when they are of no threat to my Eagles.  And let’s face it, the Lions are NEVER really a threat to ANYONE, so I may as well just make them my second team.  HOWEVER, anyone who knows me knows that I don’t believe in second teams.  So we can go ahead and scrap that idea.

If their own fans don't want to watch, why should we be forced to watch?

With that disclaimer out of the way, which should cover me and keep me from being banned from my mother-in-law’s sweet potato pie this Thanksgiving weekend, I would like to know HOW IN THE WORLD the perennial NFL version of the L.A. Clippers became a part of holiday tradition.  Who started this tradition?… Well, actually, I found that out during this year’s installment of Detroit’s annual Turkey Day debacle.  The culprit behind our yearly punishment was the Lions’ original owner George Richards, who started the tradition way back in 1934.  So I guess a better question would be…who’s idea was it to MAINTAIN this tradition?…and has he been fired yet?

Though I’m not a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, their Thanksgiving tradition is a bit more understandable.  Besides, they are “America’s Team”, aren’t’ they? (LOL)  The fact that their bandwagon stretches from sea to shining sea, gives their annual game some rooting interest, especially since their detractors reach just as big a range as their bandwagon.  So Cowboy lovers and Cowboy haters alike have a genuine reason to watch them on Thanksgiving, whether it be to root for them or to hate on them.  But who outside of Detroit roots for the Lions?…and for that matter, who in America cares enough to root AGAINST the Lions?  They’re just the Lions!

I think it’s time for some new “traditions”.  I think the NFL should “traditionally” change who hosts the Thanksgiving Day games every year.  They change who plays in that terrible London game every year, so why not give us some holiday variety?

And the MOST ironic aspect of this WHOLE thing?……………the Los Angeles Clippers hosted a Thanksgiving Day  NBA game this year on TNT………………….W……T…….F!  Now THAT’S funny!

Devin “Dev” McMillan of The War Room, for War Room Sports