Viejo Dinosaur
EOG Master
Good news for Niner fans…Clete Blakeman is the head referee for their game against the Lions…
Detroit Lions 2023 Season Thread
- Thread starter mrbowling300
- Start date
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
LOL....in the heat of the moment, forgot about that.
My partner at work made a huge blunder. Him and his cousin are traveling to the Lions/SF game........ he looks at his Delta app, and it says 30 days until departure. He booked his ticket for Feb instead of Jan! he was bragging how little his airfare was compared to others, lol. They really jacked up the flight prices from DTW to SF this weekend! He was able to get it fixed, but cost him about $1300 more, lol
If staying in the Santa Clara/Sunnyvale/SJ area, the San Jose airport is very close. Flying into SFO would be rather burdensome.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
He's flying into SFO, but flying out of San Jose to LAX and then to DTW.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Looks like Ben Johnson to the Washington Commanders.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Wojo: Lions’ fearless ways run from the top down
Allen Park — For a league that embraces gambling like no other, the NFL has an odd relationship with risk-taking. Coaches get recycled. Staid offenses and defenses get regurgitated. Convention outranks creativity. Outliers are outliers for a reason.Into this landscape, the new Lions were reborn. Their greatest weakness for 60 years was their utter lack of structure, culture and cohesiveness. When they wiped the slate clean three years ago, they were free to try anything, to defy history and convention.
And the story of the Great Gamble was born.
The Lions aren’t headed to the NFC Championship game in San Francisco solely because Dan Campbell is the league’s most-prolific gambler. This isn’t just about fourth-down calls and fake punts. It’s about how a woeful franchise transformed itself, one calculated gamble at a time. And there’s a lesson here, one the Lions hope to sustain — find people you trust, then bet heavily on them.
It started with Sheila Ford Hamp, who took over as principal owner and chair in 2020 and rid the franchise of a disaster. Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia were the one-time “safe” picks, hired from the model New England Patriots. It was the NFL way — if you can’t build something, borrow from someone who did.
Hamp spent decades watching her parents travel the well-trod path and fail. So, before Campbell made his first gamble, Hamp started making hers. She didn’t seek out the biggest names or splashes — no Matt Millen redux. One of her first major acts was to agree to trade the Lions’ singular star, Matthew Stafford, just as soon as she found someone to do it.
It’s the beauty — and bounty — of a clean slate. There’s literally no downside to trying something different, free of fear.
Collaborating with those she trusted, such as Chris Spielman, Rod Wood and Mike Disner, Hamp opted for a first-time GM, Brad Holmes. They already had settled on a first-time, full-time head coach in Campbell, so in a sense, it was an arranged marriage.
Based on the league’s traditional models, it was unorthodox, to say the least. And then, on Jan. 21, 2021, two days after Holmes’ introduction, Campbell delivered a rollicking, mesmerizing, impassioned speech on what football means to him and what it can mean to Detroit. Yes, he mentioned “kneecaps” and a few other body parts, and that’s all anyone seemingly heard.
To stuffy, entrenched NFL insiders, it was a joke. In a league of militaristic command chains, it fell outside parameters. Locally, Detroit fans and media mostly appreciated the tearful message and its rich, raw eloquence because they lived the history. At the time, I wrote, “Some will judge him on soundbites and knee-bites, but if they do, they just might miss the point.”
A lot of people did, compounded by the Lions’ 0-10-1 start in his first season. But most of Campbell’s strategic gambits were necessitated by a talent deficit, based on data. The belief was unchanged that dramatic upheaval in aggressiveness and tone was necessary. Nationally, it was more of a free-for-all, a meathead-mocking mob mentality, and he heard it all.
Campbell collected receipts but not regrets, and he maintained the full support of his bosses. Last week, he admitted he had a whole list of “I told you so’s,” — presumably like one of those pharmacy receipt scrolls — but said, “It’s not time to pull those out yet.”
After beating Tampa Bay in a wild Ford Field to advance one step from the Super Bowl, he was asked again about the early ridicule.
“To each his own,” he said with a smile Sunday. “We’re going to the NFC Championship game with that group of guys. And they love football, they play football and that’s what they respect.”
In other words, they don’t care what others say about them, or their unusual ways. For Holmes, it wasn’t really a gamble to trade Stafford, who wanted out and was dealt barely two weeks after Holmes arrived. The gamble was in the return, which included two first-round picks and a quarterback the Rams were ready to discard.
Holmes' and Campbell's gambles
Holmes went all-in on Jared Goff, insisting he wasn’t just a bridge to the next quarterback. Goff played in a Super Bowl with the Rams, where Holmes worked in the front office. Holmes was convinced Goff could be rebuilt, and eventually paired him with masterful offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.That was the start of Holmes’ gambles, and although not as renowned as Campbell’s calls — the Lions had the second-most fourth-down conversions (21-for-40) in the league — they were even more impactful. Rather than use a high pick to draft Goff’s replacement two years ago, Holmes traded up to grab speedy, injured receiver Jameson Williams. The NFL old guard guffawed (understandably, at first), then guffawed the following year when Holmes maneuvered for running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell in the first round, two positions supposedly unfit for such lofty status.
Conventional choices? Haha. Holmes’ other two high picks this year were tight end Sam LaPorta and defensive back Brian Branch, merely two of the best rookies in the league.
Holmes and Campbell are closely aligned with who they draft and who they sign, eschewing some stars that other teams crave. Campbell has talked about his disdain for having “turds” on his roster, another stance that humors some football people. He chews on the word “grit” like it’s his chaw, and then you see it in action and you get it.
Amon-Ra St. Brown was a fourth-round pick and now is an elite receiver, a bundle of talent and competitive feistiness. Same with David Montgomery, signed from the Bears, and Josh Reynolds, who rekindled his connection with Goff in L.A.
The Lions aren’t a star-studded team, partly by design. But as I’ve said before, they’re stud-studded. Holmes’ first two No. 1 picks, Penei Sewell and Aidan Hutchinson, are trench warriors. Frank Ragnow, drafted by the previous regime, keeps gutting through an array of injuries to center a growling offensive line.
“Grit” isn’t a punchline to anyone here, although it was elsewhere for a while.
“It’s what we’re about, and it’s what we’ll always be about,” Campbell said. “If you don’t have that, and you don’t have intestinal fortitude or mental toughness, then you’re not going to be able to play here. Our guys believe that. The coaches believe it; the whole organization believes it. It’s the bedrock of what we’re about.”
When the Lions had a spate of injuries, fans and others screamed for a big move, like a trade for defensive star Chase Young, who ended up with the 49ers and has 2.5 sacks in nine games. Campbell and Holmes insisted they had enough on their team, and so far, they have. Of Holmes’ 23 draft picks in three seasons, 22 are still on the roster.
That doesn’t mean every move is correct. The Lions are 22-7 since midway through last season, way ahead of the most optimistic schedule. But there’s also risk in not leaping for star players, and as expectations rise, they’ll have to leap, occasionally.
The goal isn’t just to win the division, set stadium noise records and become America’s Darlings, although that’s all fun. It’s the Super Bowl, and there’s no ambiguity. This is a serious, purposeful endeavor, and the Lions are not accidental passengers.
“Dan’s the greatest leader I’ve been around, and he’s cultivated this culture where we have belief in each other pretty significantly,” Goff said. “Yeah, you think about the dark times early in 2021. A lot of people calling for his head, a lot of people in this (media) room calling for his head. And it's pretty good to be able to sit up here and play in the NFC Championship game.”
They’ve done it a different way and embraced the struggle, and it should keep evolving. You take enough smart gambles, and eventually, they’re not really gambles at all.
Bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com
NFC Championship
Lions at 49ers
▶ Kickoff: 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California▶ TV/radio: FOX/97.1
▶ Records: Detroit (12-5), San Francisco (12-5)
▶ Line: 49ers by 7
AFC Championship
Chiefs at Ravens
▶ Kickoff: 3 p.m., Sunday, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore▶ TV/radio: CBS
▶ Records: Kansas City (11-6), Baltimore (13-4)
▶ Line: Ravens by 3 1/2
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Seasoned Lions fans recall Detroit's last championship title in 1957
Detroit — Detroit Lions fans know all about Bobby Layne. The more fanatical ones know about Tobin Rote. And then there are the super-serious, longtime fans who actually watched Rote play.
It was 1957, a magical time to be a Lions fan. Rote was a backup quarterback who spelled the injured Layne, a Hall of Famer, and took the team to the playoffs and then the championship. It was the last time the Lions ever held the title.
Marty Laker, 80, of West Bloomfield Township, was there.
"We had the best fans in the whole country," Laker said. "The city just loved our sporting teams. Not that they all won all the time, but they were always competitive."
Despite the long passage of time, Laker and other longtime fans vividly recall the cold, the excitement, the euphoria of winning a National Football League championship.
On Sunday, the Lions are playing for a chance to return to the promised land for the first time in 66 years. It also would mark their first appearance in something that wasn't around in 1957, the Super Bowl, which didn't begin until a decade later.
In 1957, Michigan looked nothing like it does today. Detroit's population peaked at 1.8 million people, making it the fifth most populous city in America. The Mackinac Bridge had just been built, and the Pistons of Fort Wayne, Indiana, announced they were moving to Detroit.
Laker, 14 at the time, recalled that Detroit was known as "the city of champions." The Lions had already won titles in 1952 and 1953 while the Red Wings won the hockey championship four times during the decade.
Laker tagged along with older brothers Jerry and Irving as they attended the 1957 championship game between the Lions and Cleveland Browns at Briggs Stadium. It was Laker's first football game.
He sat in the lower bleachers at center field, where his view was limited to the player's spikes as they galloped across the field.
A fan's first game: 'It was amazing'
"It was jam-packed," Laker recalled, saying it was a fluke that he got to go in the first place. "They took me because I was the baby brother, and I had never seen a football game before. It was amazing — as much as I could see."The Lions ended up whomping the Browns 59-14 for the team's fourth championship in its history. Little did the young fan realize it would be the beginning of a championship drought.
Jerry Laker, Marty's older brother, said he felt lucky to experience the game with his brothers. Irving, the oldest of the trio, passed away 12 years ago.
"It took them (the Lions) a while to get back in the groove," said Jerry Laker, 88. "I had the good fortune to go with my brothers."
Jerry Laker recalled sitting in the upper bleachers near the 10- or 15-yard line with a better view of the game than Marty, and bundling up because the stadium was outdoors.
He is still a Lions fan but a bit more tempered now. In the 1950s, he was always discussing players and injuries with friends in class.
"We'd discuss the statistics and the little nuances, you know who did what ... all the little details," Marty said. "Now, at my age, it's just nice to go and be part of the scene and watch it and be a fan."
The 1957 game is something Jerry and Marty would talk about with their older brother for decades afterward.
"It's been quite a ride. The country looks at Metro Detroit in a totally different way now," Marty Laker said of the Lions' recent success. "It's really been wonderful, and I'm glad to be a part of it."
Marty's son, Scott, now has season tickets to the Lions after going to watch them play on Thanksgiving with his father for years. Marty made a promise to Scott that, if the Lions ever made it to the Super Bowl, he would take him.
"I thought it would never happen, and all of a sudden I put my foot in my mouth," said Marty. "If they got that far, I think (it's) their destiny. It would be so sensational."
Family keeps tickets in family
The 1957 championship is also the first Lions game Bob Gariepy can recall attending. Gariepy, who was 5 years old at the time, doesn't remember much other than his father cheering and how cold it was."I remember my father would cheer, so I would stand up and cheer," he said. "I remember going to Tiger Stadium (also known as Briggs Stadium) for many years. It was a great place, great teams then."
Gariepy's family has held Lions season tickets since his grandfather first purchased them in 1950. He plans to continue holding on to them until he is physically unable to go and then pass them to his son Peter, who lives in St. Louis but still travels to attend home games.
"When I give them up, that's when they're gonna go all the way," said Bob Gariepy, 71. "As long as I can afford paying for them, I'm going to keep going."
He can remember years when he struggled to give away pre-season Lions tickets because there was such little interest. But not this season.
"The Lions are just, they're on fire, I've really noticed it," he said. "Everybody's wearing Lions gear and then the first thing everybody says is 'Go Lions.'"
Gariepy of Bloomfield Hills has followed the Lions ever since that 1957 season and loves what he is seeing.
"If you were to ask me 10 years ago, I'd say, 'I hope they win but I'm not sure,'" he said. "(Now) I am very confident that they're gonna win."
hmackay@detroitnews.com
Murphy’s Best
EOG Dedicated
Would love the Lions if it can get to 7.5
FairWarning
Bells Beer Connoisseur
Me too, don’t see it. I think the books are going to need SF.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
GM delays shift at Flint plant so workers can watch Detroit Lions in NFC championship game
It's a big deal when GM does this!
It's a big deal when GM does this!
boston massacre
EOG Master
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
It will be held in the heart of downtown, Campus Martius. A perfect spot for it.
https://downtowndetroit.org/experience-downtown/downtown-detroit-parks/campus-martius/
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Ford Field / Comerica Park / Little Caesars Arena are all about a 10 minute walk from this point.
I remember days where it would be 60 in San Fran but go in land 15 miles and it would be 90.
Dell Dude
EOG Master
Some Lions trivia. I use all balls out in honour of this whore:
It originated when she was in the lockeroom and asked Wayne Fontes if the Lions were going to go "all balls out" to get the win. Wayneo and the other reporters laughed at the sexual connotation.
ALL BALLS OUT!
It originated when she was in the lockeroom and asked Wayne Fontes if the Lions were going to go "all balls out" to get the win. Wayneo and the other reporters laughed at the sexual connotation.
ALL BALLS OUT!
Dell Dude
EOG Master
20 (Billy Sims) Ravens vs Lions dead tickets.
See Billy run. You couldn't catch him with a gun.
Dell Dude
EOG Master
Lions beat Rams 24-23 (1980 debutantè)
Lions beat Bucs 31-23 (1981 finale)
Lions beat 49ers (1983 playoffs)
Lions beat Bills (1976 Thanksgiving)
Dell Dude
EOG Master
Mushy.
cheapseats
EOG Master
Cough
compaqdork
EOG Enthusiast
this is truly sickening sir
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
As good as the first half was, Lions have been a horrible Q3 team all year.
winkyduck
TYVM Morgan William!!!
July, 2022 I spent 2 weeks working in the general area around Detroit. Had a few days off so I could go into the city and look around. Went on a Wednesday - only to find the Eastern Market is open Tuesdays! Did get to explore all of the old churches in the area and had lunch at: Eat at Berts - damn nice place.
My last day there I walked all around area and, as you stated, you can walk between all 3 in about 15-20 minutes. I sat behind home plate on the top level at Comerica and saw the signage for Ford Field along the left field line.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Well, that was a huge disappointment....up 24-7 at the half. I would think that all Lions fans out there were thinking that we were headed to the super bowl. The Lions 3rd quarters this year has been disastrous, last night was no exception. Gibbs fumble. Dan Gamble going for it on two separate 4th downs, and failing. Dropped passes. At the end of the day, if Campbell is the coach, we take the good with the bad. The bad was on display. The analytics backed up going on 4th down, poor execution resulted, and there was no guarantee that Bagley would have made the FG's too. Once everyone gets past the emotion of this loss, I think we can look back and say it was a wonderful season that far exceeded expectations. The culture of the Lions has been changed. They became the talk of the NFL. It's going to be tough to get back to this point next year. The window of opportunity is still open. If Ben Johnson leaves for Washington, it will be interesting to see who replaces him. There are still areas to improve via the draft. I've never been this excited for our football team, I hope all this carries over to next season. Thanks for following this thread all season long.
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
In watching the Baltimore Ravens loss, vs. the Lions loss........I'm glad i'm not a member of the Ravens fan base today, that's for sure!!!!!
Viejo Dinosaur
EOG Master
You just never know when you are going to get another chance at the ring or Super Bowl…ask Dan Marino…Lions had a fantastic year….
mrbowling300
EOG Dedicated
Top of Valenti's show yesterday