Could Detroit Pull Off The Quadfecta in 2021?
Now that it appears that Matthew Stafford will no longer be wearing the Honolulu Blue and Silver, could the Motor City accomplish a new low and have all 4 major professional teams finish with the worst record in their respective sports?
The Red Wings and Tigers have set the bar. The new look Pistons seem capable, especially if they're able to trade Rose and Griffin. The pressure will be on Dan Campbell to ward off Jacksonville and the Jets for that coveted #1 draft pick.
What a time to be a sports fan in Michigan. Well, at least we have U-M basketball...or, do we?
Let's beat COVID!
January 24th, 2021 at 9:45 AM ^
There's hope...oh, wait...
January 24th, 2021 at 9:48 AM ^
Celebrate good times, come on!
Do they have a parade for this? Six feet apart, of course.
January 24th, 2021 at 9:53 AM ^
Six feet apart or six feet under?
January 24th, 2021 at 9:50 AM ^
It all goes in cycles (well...except for the Lions). The Tampa area was horrendous for many years, now look at the Bucs, Bolts and Rays. I would expect at the Tigers and Wings to get it turned around soon.
January 24th, 2021 at 10:37 AM ^
One year ago you could've said "it all goes in cycles except for the Lions & Browns." The Browns were at least as incompetent as the Lions if not more so and were the butt of virtually every joke made about sustained failure in the NFL.
Now the Browns have our QB, our HC and our front office in place. The team is very young, has a ton of cap room to fix the defense and the future looks bright indeed.
Things can change fast. Even for the Lions.
January 24th, 2021 at 10:45 AM ^
Things changed for the Clippers when they got new ownership. Sadly, that’s not an option for the lions.
January 24th, 2021 at 10:50 AM ^
We have the Ford family you don't...things will never change for the Loins
January 24th, 2021 at 11:11 AM ^
We have the Haslam's. The guy who (allegedly) didnt know a THING about the rampant theft of truckers via rebate scams running Flying Pilot J.
The guy who (allegedly) made his GM Ray Farmer text down play suggestions during the game which ultimately led to Kyle Shanahan quitting in disgust
The guy who (allegedly) forced the selection of Johnny Football on the recommendation of a homeless dude.
The guy who (allegedly) made Freddie Kitchens explain his gameplan, his playcalling and defend why they didnt throw the ball more to OBJ every Monday last year for 5-6 hours instead of letting Kitchens run the team.
The guy who paid over 200K to a consultant who said Derek Carr was the best QB in the draft and then ignored his advice and selected Johnny Football instead.
The guy who hired Paul Depodesta to help use analytics to find the right HC in 2016. Depodesta recommended strongly Shawn McDermott but Haslam hired Hue Jackson instead.
Believe me I could go on and on with this. Ford's are incompetent as owners. So is Haslam - he just got lucky last year and has FINALLY stayed out of the way for once.
January 24th, 2021 at 1:34 PM ^
Just reading this list makes me want to light myself on fire and I’m neither a Browns fan nor one who approves morally of self-immolation.
January 24th, 2021 at 11:10 AM ^
You may have your QB, HC and GM in place but unfortunately you still have your owner in place. Perhaps the worst owner in the league tho the Ford Family, Dan Snyder and that idiot son in Houston belong in the conversation.
January 24th, 2021 at 12:06 PM ^
Don’t forget the Johnsons’Jets also
January 24th, 2021 at 12:39 PM ^
The McCaskey’s in Chicago would like to speak with you.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:53 AM ^
Mike Brown <drops mic>
January 24th, 2021 at 11:22 AM ^
I actually concur with this assessment. Haslam made Dan Snyder look hands off yet once he committed to a singular culture and vision, things for the Browns began to click. I am a big believer in culture, having started and run a couple of start ups. You will be surprised how powerful organizational behavior is - culture of a company starts from its leadership. Football people haven’t run the Lions (or the Browns) for MANY years and it’s been culturally fractured for years. That change doesn’t happen overnight but it CAN change.
January 24th, 2021 at 12:30 PM ^
Happy for you and long suffering Browns fans.
This Browns season is also a great example of how a little luck can go a long way.
Probably not repeatable to go 12-6 while giving up more points than you score but that kind of year can be the jumpstart a team needs.
January 24th, 2021 at 2:38 PM ^
You are right, but the point differential is deceiving. It was the result of early season blowouts against Pittsburg and Baltimore. With a new system, virtual coaching, and no preseason games, early blowouts were not surprising. After things clicked halfway through the year, the numbers shifted. The last 3 games with those two teams the Browns went 2-1, and the loss was narrow. Of course, Pittsburg, Baltimore and the Browns all got fat on the NFC East, and that will not be the case for the division next year.
January 25th, 2021 at 6:35 AM ^
Stop. The Browns are not and have never been more incompetent than the Lions. It only seems that way because the Browns are media darlings and lovable losers — the NFL’s version of the Cubs — while the Lions are, well, irrelevant.
January 24th, 2021 at 10:00 AM ^
I actually feel a lot better about Detroit sports now than I did a few years ago. A few years ago, they were all floundering in purgatory. Now, they’re all in different stages of a rebuild.
January 24th, 2021 at 11:18 AM ^
Stevie Y definitely knows what he's doing. Troy Weaver appears to know talent and isn't afraid to make moves. Al Avila (gulp) may actually be better than I thought (I love me some Riley Greene). I want to believe in Brad Holmes because he appears to be a sharp guy who has worked his way up from the bottom rung.
But then again I'm a Detroit sports fan so it will probably all turn to shit.
January 24th, 2021 at 11:27 AM ^
I think the Tigers got very lucky and were gifted AJ Hinch. He would have gone to the white sox if they didn’t hire a drunk old moron . I think the Wings and Tigers will be competitive very soon. Pistons are trending toward #1 pick and have some solid pieces in place . Lions should get pretty good haul for Stafford and i truely believe Hamp Ford is not her parents , I like the Speilman hire and also the coach/gm hire . Future is bright for all 4 in my opinion
January 24th, 2021 at 10:14 AM ^
I'm actually happy about getting rid of Stafford. Obviously he hasn't been helped tremendously by those around him, but when the game was on the line he always seemed just as likely to throw a damaging pick as he would a touchdown.
January 24th, 2021 at 11:58 PM ^
This comment was inflammatory in nature but not far off the mark. Bottom line is in 12 seasons, Stafford has led the Lions to the playoffs 3 times and has achieved 0 playoff wins. Not many ways you can spin that into something good.
But Stafford has given back to the community and certainly done his share of great things off the field.
January 24th, 2021 at 10:15 AM ^
At least that gives us something to root for.
January 24th, 2021 at 10:20 AM ^
Doubt the Tigers will have worst record this year. They seem to have bottomed out and showed a little progress last year. I'm actually intrigued with them which I don't really feel yet for other three teams (though they finally all seem to have some semblance of plan).
January 24th, 2021 at 10:51 AM ^
I too am optimistic about the Tiger’s future, but I still think they after losing most of last year (especially in the minors) the Tigs are looking at another long season before the ship finally turns in 22.
January 24th, 2021 at 10:23 AM ^
Keep the faith, things can change for the better in a hurry - even though it doesnt look very promising right now.
Just one year ago here in Cleveland we were coming off a tremendously disheartening 6-10 Browns season, had significant questions about Baker and had decided to hire some nobody named Kevin Stevanski on the freaking recommendation of Paul Depodesta - he of Money Ball fame, not football. I would say that worked out pretty damn well wouldnt you?
Also one year ago the Cavs, fresh off our latest Lebron departure, finished with the 2nd worst record in the NBA for the 2nd straight year and, for the 2nd straight year, got screwed in the draft lottery and had to pick 5th. There we got some nobody named Issac Okuro, not one of the marque players at the top of the draft. Today the Cavs sit at a very surprising 8-7, have played extremely competitively in the losses and lead the league in team defense of all things - led by, you guessed it, Issac Okoru.
My late father used to always say "Donald, even the blind squirrels find a nut every once in a while." Well if Cleveland can (and the Browns & Cavs were just as "blind" as the Lions & Pistons) than so can Detroit.
January 24th, 2021 at 4:18 PM ^
The Browns have had a lot more success than the Lions in the Super Bowl era. They have 6 or 7 playoff wins and should have made the Super Bowl 2 years in the 80s (the Bronco losses). Over the same time, the Lions have had 1 playoff win and no team which was even close to being a Super Bowl contender. The Lions are the worst franchise in pro sports.
January 24th, 2021 at 9:59 PM ^
No one has every given me a satisfactory answer as to why they think the Fords are the problem. They aren't meddlesome owners and aren't cheap. Obviously they've made mistakes like Millen and the like but I think a decent amount of the misery can be chalked up to luck and how losing can beget losing.
Also, I believe they financed Ford Field on their own, which is a huge credit to them. I stand stand billionaires holding their teams hostage so that the taxpayers can build them a stadium.
January 24th, 2021 at 11:47 PM ^
The question about the Ford family's Lions ownership is a good one. I have also wondered why the Lions can't be that blind squirrel once every 10-15 years and get to an NFC championship or Super Bowl. The NFL is parity defined where there is little talent differential between the best and worst teams. Many games are literal coin flips. The Lions continue to end up on the wrong side of the coin. Cursed, bad luck or systemic issues throughout the organization? I'd love to hear how the Ford family is F'ing the whole thing up.
January 24th, 2021 at 10:26 AM ^
Sad thing is there is no bona fide #1 QB in the '22 class. Slovis and Howell are pretty meh, and I wouldn't take Rattler first overall.
Watch the Lions get cold feet and bring Stafford back.
January 24th, 2021 at 10:44 AM ^
I'd rather that they get someone average to take the reins at QB for a couple of years while they build up the pieces around the QB position. Lions have a need at so many positions and I just don't think it's possible to figure it out in one offseason.
January 24th, 2021 at 12:06 PM ^
The problem with that strategy is they could piece together some mediocre 7-9, 8-8, or 9-7 seasons and knock themselves out of the top ten picks. If I'm looking to draft a QB, I want to pick as high as possible to increase my chances of getting a good one or at least ensuring I'll get the one I want instead of hoping he falls to my team.
January 24th, 2021 at 12:25 PM ^
Without Stafford the Lions have no shot at 7+ wins. Thats why it was time for both sides to move on. Likely to have some journeyman at QB and with the lack of talent on both sides of the ball well see a lot of losses in '21.
January 24th, 2021 at 2:43 PM ^
Of course, the problem with drafting a QB when you can’t protect him is that he gets the crap beat out of him and is a shell of himself after a few years when you have added some talent around him.
January 26th, 2021 at 7:08 PM ^
All-time passing yards leaders (if you want to use a different metric feel free, but this is a pretty good list) and their draft number:
- Drew Brees (32)
- Tom Brady (199)
- Peyton Manning (1)
- Bret Favre (33)
- Phillip Rivers (4)
- Dan Marino (27)
- Ben Roethlisberger (11)
- Eli Manning (1)
- Matt Ryan (3)
- John Elway (1)
- Aaron Rodgers (24)
- Warren Moon (undrafted)
- Fran Tarkenton (29)
Plenty of good quarterbacks have lasted past the first ten in the draft.
January 24th, 2021 at 11:13 AM ^
Unless a spunky kid who goes by D-Mac ends up having a Burrow-like Cinderella story.
January 24th, 2021 at 10:37 AM ^
Remember back in the mid to late 2000s when the Pistons were routinely getting to the conference finals, the Red Wings were winning Stanley Cups, and the Tigers were a good to great team? Ah, those were the days.
January 24th, 2021 at 11:18 AM ^
I'll be 37 this year and have been pretty spoiled with Detroit/UM sports in my lifetime. As of now though it's been over a decade without a title since the wings won in 08 I believe. It's the longest I've had to go without a title by a long shot.
January 24th, 2021 at 10:40 AM ^
Well, I suppose if we're going to do something notable in sports in 2021, this might be one of the easier paths to follow. Not exactly what you want to be known for, but it would sell a few papers all the same...
January 24th, 2021 at 10:52 AM ^
Off season/draft championship is on the line for all four teams ?
January 24th, 2021 at 11:12 AM ^
I sure hope so. We can finally rebuild these teams right, instead of just being in average spots.
The Wings and Pistons are already doing it right. About time the lions recognized that too.
January 24th, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
And with the first pick, in the 2022 NFL draft. The Detroit Lions select...Cade McNamara! Hometown hero off the back of a Joe Burrow esque season.
January 24th, 2021 at 12:07 PM ^
I’ll have what he’s having
January 24th, 2021 at 12:45 PM ^
The Lions would probably draft Joe Milton.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:03 AM ^
Because Milton practices at a higher level. And won the team cornhole competition.
January 24th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
Even Dan Gilbert wants to stay away from this.
January 24th, 2021 at 12:03 PM ^
I have to ask - Are the OP and board members actually rooting against Detroit sports teams and relish when they do bad? We’re not a great sport’s city at the moment and I actually live in GR but what the hell? The scenario of this post screams “Let’s be the best at being the worst” type of shit.
I know a lot of people here have roots around the US and even internationally but even as the Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons seem to disappoint us, can’t you just take your beating and move along?
January 24th, 2021 at 12:08 PM ^
1. At some point you have to embrace the suck.
2. By the logic of North American pro sports, it's better to be awful than just mediocre. Being awful gets you high draft picks. Mediocrity just leaves you treading water forever.
January 24th, 2021 at 12:48 PM ^
This.
There is nothing worse than watching your team wander through the purgatory of not good enough to matter/not bad enough to get high picks for years on end. At some point you have to go all in on either spending for elite players to become a great team, or selling off talent to amass picks and embrace the suck for a few years.
The Pistons are a great example of this, as they have yet to truly embrace a full tear down/rebuild. This may be the year is starts, but they should have started this process a decade ago instead of trying to compete for a low playoff spot when they knew they didn’t have the talent to do anything. The Grizzlies were in the same boat (solid but not great team that wasn’t doing much in the playoffs) until they went all in on the tank during the 2017-2018 season. Now they have two awesome young franchise pieces in Jaren Jackson and Ja Morant. The Pistons should do the same, and in 2-3 years could have an extremely exciting young core that could turn around the franchise.
The Lions have the double whammy of usually being in purgatory (and the low end of it as well), but routinely screw up draft picks regardless of draft position. Probably the worst combo of all. Something is seriously wrong with the organization at some foundational level if they continuously blow picks. Obviously the Ford family sucks, but it’s insane how many bad players are routinely selected by them versus any other team.