tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post787239498273542600..comments2024-03-22T03:17:47.335-04:00Comments on Armchair Linebacker - a New Writing blog: Damned No MoreRaven Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00777849609532782535noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-15016645695047070382011-09-13T16:10:21.836-04:002011-09-13T16:10:21.836-04:00I just realized, thanks to your post, Ezra, that I...I just realized, thanks to your post, Ezra, that I never really made a prediction here about where the Lions would finish.<br /><br />So, here's my prediction: 10-6 and that's with the belief that the Lions will get fucked out of a couple of games. Honestly, I think they're capable of beating anyone, but they're probably still capable of losing to anyone too. In the end, there will probably be a few games in which we think "Goddamn, start printing those playoff tickets" and then there will be a few games in which we all bellow like wild apes and set fire to our loved ones and gibber in tongues at the madness of the universe. <br /><br />The net result of all this wild nonsense: 10-6 and a Wild Card Berth. Beyond that, who knows?Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16300561079216508635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-39087605168154138572011-09-13T13:41:28.386-04:002011-09-13T13:41:28.386-04:00I noticed that in Simmons's article and I was ...I noticed that in Simmons's article and I was shocked as well until I thought about it a little more. I don't agree with him at all, but I came to the following conclusion that most national writers/tv talking heads don't look deep into the Lions.<br /><br />It means that most of them fall on the side of super-optimism(P. King) who says they are a Super Bowl dark horse.. He, like a lot of them know that we have made general upgrades to the roster and coaching. They want more to be RIGHT about us being good than caring if we actually are. The other side has guys like Simmons who say 6-10. Simmons is a great and entertaining writer, but, having read his stuff for years, it's easy to tell that he's a true gambler. Nothing matters more to gamblers than track record and W/L ratios. Simply stated, he won't say we will do better until we actually put together a winner.<br /><br />Most of what I've read either has the Lions as a contender, or in the "not quite dumpster"(6-10 is not good, but not as destitute as the 3-13s of the world). Few people have said, "I think they'll be 8-8 or slightly better and here is why..." <br /><br />I think we will contend for the playoffs, just missing at 9-7 or maybe 10-6 and pissed off while some bullshit outfit wins the NFC West at 6-10 or some shit. God, I hope not.Ezranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-80399795849487494542011-09-12T20:37:09.020-04:002011-09-12T20:37:09.020-04:00CJ,
Absolutely. What I meant by the Failure Demon...CJ,<br /><br />Absolutely. What I meant by the Failure Demons last stand thing wasn't that they would go away, just that the Lions are finally good enough now so that they won't be defined by them anymore. That shit will still rise up and gnaw on our asses just like it did in this game, it's just that we'll finally be able to rise above it more often than not.<br /><br />Also, thanks for the kind words. It's always nice to hear from you and hopefully this season we'll all get to talk more about what went right than about what went wrong, right things such as "OMG OMG OMG OUR QUARTERBACK DID YOU SEE HIM? WITH THE THROWING AND THE LAUGHING AND THE THROWING AND THE LOOKING KIND OF DRUNK AND THE THROWING?"<br /><br />Indeed.Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16300561079216508635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-87248425348649673822011-09-12T17:23:40.768-04:002011-09-12T17:23:40.768-04:00Congratulations on the predictions, and on Willie ...Congratulations on the predictions, and on Willie Young's awesome highlight play.<br /><br />I think the craziness is here to stay though, not just a last rise of the failure demons. I never understood the feeling (never here, of course, but prevalent in the fandom) that if the Lions turned the corner they would morph into the Patriots. I don't feel like being stupid is ingrained in the Lions (and hopefully that's what is getting beaten out) but I feel being crazy is, both in the team and the fandom.<br /><br /><br />Wonderful post, and in a lot of ways, wonderful game. So glad you're here to chronicle the season. (The only bad moment for me was checking mlive immediately after checking here to read what Kowalski had to say, and then remembering...)<br /><br />Oh, OK, I lied. One more thing: OMG OMG OMG OUR QUARTERBACK DID YOU SEE HIM? WITH THE THROWING AND THE LAUGHING AND THE THROWING AND THE LOOKING KIND OF DRUNK AND THE THROWING? <br /><br />Ok. I'm done now.CJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-5646287098215068902011-09-12T15:44:03.862-04:002011-09-12T15:44:03.862-04:00AZBadger,
To be honest, I prefer my Wild Turkey s...AZBadger,<br /><br />To be honest, I prefer my Wild Turkey straight up and my tears bloody.Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16300561079216508635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-53823570981233844442011-09-12T15:43:19.420-04:002011-09-12T15:43:19.420-04:00"To be able to look at that game and say....w..."To be able to look at that game and say....wow....they played well but....some boneheaded plays they need to tighten up....and still win convincingly says a great deal about this team."<br /><br />Yeah, that's why I actually feel confident for a change. It seems like this team is good enough - finally - to overcome all of the ridiculous bullshit that normally drags them down. Like, that bullshit is still there, but the talent is just so much better than before that it's not that it doesn't matter, but it's not going to dictate what happens anymore.Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16300561079216508635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-591643174153642162011-09-12T03:06:23.575-04:002011-09-12T03:06:23.575-04:00"Gained enough yardage to make their own golf..."Gained enough yardage to make their own golf course." Ha! That line made my day. I plan to steal that one for myself. BTW Wild Turkey does NOT go well with salt water. A cold splash of spring water is much better.AZBadgernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-57243992342381493362011-09-12T01:43:33.399-04:002011-09-12T01:43:33.399-04:00While watchin' the game....I have to admit, th...While watchin' the game....I have to admit, that 1st quarter had somethin'....*OK...maybe it was more me than anything I'll admit....*, but I began thinkin' ...." a turnover would really suck right about now....".<br /><br />Sure enough, the tipped high pass to Talib. But I didn't feel any panic or sense of impendin' doom. Why....?<br /><br />Because Staff and his variousweapons on offense and that swarmin' defensive unit showed me that they came and were enforcin' their will....at will. <br /><br />To be able to look at that game and say....wow....they played well but....some boneheaded plays they need to tighten up....and still win convincingly says a great deal about this team. <br /><br />And I think any1 who watched that game could clearly see who the better team is and how The Lions basically toyed and teased The Bucs. No way in any Universe was the score supposed to be that close.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00259539822107481119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-76764057424737873512011-09-12T01:00:39.989-04:002011-09-12T01:00:39.989-04:00Yeah, I may have cackled when that happened. Peopl...Yeah, I may have cackled when that happened. People may have looked at me weird.Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16300561079216508635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-63124963163727185802011-09-12T00:50:49.548-04:002011-09-12T00:50:49.548-04:00Watching the highlights... who's that damned n...Watching the highlights... who's that damned near breaking Josh Freeman in half? TGWY. Awesome.HillHeebnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-47477781792215391432011-09-11T23:20:27.028-04:002011-09-11T23:20:27.028-04:00Yeah, now it's just "Win."
Also, Ne...Yeah, now it's just "Win."<br /><br />Also, Neil inspired shit talk will either get you laid or in fights and on good nights, both. It's true. They even did studies on it and everything. SCIENCE.Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16300561079216508635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-40862325051017869982011-09-11T23:00:49.088-04:002011-09-11T23:00:49.088-04:00FUCKING GET IN
On a side note, I talked a lot of ...FUCKING GET IN<br /><br />On a side note, I talked a lot of Neil inspired shit this week, so glad the Lions backed it up.<br /><br />"Learning to win" was the big talking point about last year's Lions, I think we can safely say that box can be checked.HillHeebnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-53409823944372681722011-09-11T22:54:28.101-04:002011-09-11T22:54:28.101-04:00"The other thing that good teams, and fans of..."The other thing that good teams, and fans of good teams do, is they look at wins like that and think less "yay we won" and more "okay, but we really should've kicked their ass harder". I got to be like that throughout the 80s and 90s and I miss it dearly. It's fun."<br /><br />Yeah, that's pretty close to how I felt here.<br /><br />Also, yeah, I love that they trust Stafford to go deep in just about any situation. Those are often the best times to find St. Calvin because the coverage on him will be fairly perfunctory (well, as perfunctory as teams get covering St. Calvin, but you know what I mean) since the other team isn't really expecting it. I suspect that will change a bit once teams scout the Lions a bit more, but even if they devote more man power to covering him or any of the other receivers on a 3rd or 4th and short, it just opens up more room for the running game should the Lions choose to run for it.Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16300561079216508635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-57501131297534752872011-09-11T22:50:22.075-04:002011-09-11T22:50:22.075-04:00"I loved the first half, but got a real bad v..."I loved the first half, but got a real bad vibe in the second. Team looked more flash than substance and caused me a great deal of anxiety. They were ACTING like a really good team, trying to run the clock down, playing soft D in the back, but almost gave it away."<br /><br />I agree with a lot of this but am willing to wait and see how much of it was because of the great plague of cramps which descended upon Matthew Stafford and the boys before I totally freak out. I mean, they basically shut it down and started looking forward to the flight home the drive immediately following Stafford's first brush with the Cramp Demon, so ... maybe? But yeah, they basically gave Tampa the fourth quarter, which was ... disconcerting.Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16300561079216508635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-31341426177080015042011-09-11T22:03:57.339-04:002011-09-11T22:03:57.339-04:00I was impressed with the "Fuck it lets go DEE...I was impressed with the "Fuck it lets go DEEP" playcall on the 4th and 1 that led to a Calvin Johnson touchdown. Teams and Coaches tend to fall back on conservative calls that are wrapped in the armor of Conventional Wisdom (tm) in 4th down situations, so that if/when they fail, they can thus outflank some of the second-guessing because they at least tried what everyone tries in that situation.<br /><br />But those are training wheels, and the really good teams don't bother with them. They know their defense will bail them out, or their offense will generate another chance later, or they have a good shot of succeeding. The Lions offense took their training wheels off with that play call and its nice to see them rewarded for it. Because it means they'll do that more, and thus they will win more.<br /><br />The other thing that good teams, and fans of good teams do, is they look at wins like that and think less "yay we won" and more "okay, but we really should've kicked their ass harder". I got to be like that throughout the 80s and 90s and I miss it dearly. It's fun.Whiouxsiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16294574254325222316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-54244972860033095632011-09-11T21:31:16.302-04:002011-09-11T21:31:16.302-04:00You are truly a light in the darkness with the &qu...You are truly a light in the darkness with the " better angels" of optimism. I loved the first half, but got a real bad vibe in the second. Team looked more flash than substance and caused me a great deal of anxiety. They were ACTING like a really good team, trying to run the clock down, playing soft D in the back, but almost gave it away. <br /><br />Mind you, my pessimism could be an irrational biochemical response to drinking myself into oblivion last night.UpHerenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-67337932656568174442011-09-11T20:47:19.544-04:002011-09-11T20:47:19.544-04:00That's alright, Todd, I fuck up all the time.That's alright, Todd, I fuck up all the time.Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16300561079216508635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-15701097304335042752011-09-11T20:44:34.274-04:002011-09-11T20:44:34.274-04:00Correction, Aaron Berry was being victimized in th...Correction, Aaron Berry was being victimized in the nickle package, my bad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-9649102087645517082011-09-11T20:31:12.275-04:002011-09-11T20:31:12.275-04:00Yeah, I thought it was pretty clear that the Lions...Yeah, I thought it was pretty clear that the Lions were the flat-out better team, which is an ... odd feeling.<br /><br />Also, yeah, you could hear the Lions fans chanting "Let's go Lions" throughout the game. It was awesome.<br /><br />Thanks for the first-hand account, Todd!Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16300561079216508635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3580115438716980446.post-64787123385072327822011-09-11T20:23:36.374-04:002011-09-11T20:23:36.374-04:00Neil,
I was at the game today in Tampa. From the...Neil,<br /><br />I was at the game today in Tampa. From the stands the outcome never seemed to be in doubt, a Lion's win. I know it is weird, but being there it was apparent that the Lions completely out-classed the Buc's. Freeman had nothing, Lagarrett Blount was slow and had no holes to run through. Gerald McCoy could not get any penetration. On our side of the ball most importantly the running game looked very good, don't know the final stats yet, but it looked good - you know? Anyway the Buc's fans never seemed confident (can't believe a 10-6 team that just missed the playoffs can not sell out their home opener). In any event the Buc's fans didn't even show much false bravado, and no heart felt confidence. Stands were about one-third empty, and the crowd was about one-third Lions fans. In any event I never felt for a moment that we would not in the game. Stafford has command of the offense and the defense no longer inspires dread - I almost was mad that Schwartz decided to take the opening kickoff and not defer to get the D on the field first. Biggest concern is that the Buc's victimized Brandon McDonald in the nickle package. They were clearly staying away from Houston and Wright, but McDonald is a liability. Alphonso Smith can not get healthy too soon. <br /><br />By the way Scheffler's touchdown celebration right at the end zone ship was priceless.<br /><br />Be cool.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com