Terry Foster: Lion Fans Won't Always Like Quinn If He Does Things The New England Patriots Way
By: Terry Foster
@TerryFoster971
It will be interesting to see how Lions new General Manager Bob Quinn spins it if he retains Jim Caldwell as Lions coach. It will appear as if he is not in full control of his new job, just days after getting it.
We all know Lions owner Martha Ford loves Caldwell. She respects him as an elder statesmen who keeps the ship under control during trying times. She wants him back. Does Quinn? That is likely to be answered today during an afternoon press conference in Allen Park. But even if Quinn says he wants Caldwell who will believe him?
Caldwell has support in the dressing room from players who played hard for him despite a 1-7 start. The Lions finished the season 6-2.
** Lion fans won't always like Quinn if he does things the New England Patriots way where he worked for many years. Fans love high priced, big name free agents. The Patriots don't unless they believe the player is the final piece for a championship. For the most part free agency does not work in the NFL for teams trying to climb the ladder. Let's face it, Bill Belichick runs the Patriots. Quinn learned and brings some of that mentality to Detroit. You won't always like it, but it works.
** Is Quinn the right piece? I do not know. However, I trust a guy who does it the New England way rather than the previous Lions way. Do you agree?
** The official end of the Matt Millen era finally came this season. Millen has been gone for quite sometime, but the Lions handed the keys to the car to his student Martin Mayhew along with team President Tom Lewand. Both were fired during the season.
Here are the ugly numbers to digest: The Lions finished 78-162 and were outscored by opponents 5,373 to 4,514 points. That is an average score of 22.4 points to 18.8 points. The Lions finished last or tied for last in nine of 15 seasons. Here is the good news. The Lions have a three year streak of finishing in third place or better.
** Cincinnati Bengals fans displayed disgusting behavior following the Bengals 18-16 wild card game loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They threw debris at Steeler player and coaches. However, this is not a Cincinnati problem. With the emotions of the game this boorish behavior would play out in most stadiums, including Detroit. I know you are shaking your head saying it is different here.
It is not. It would be the same in Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia. Many fans are pigs.
Don't believe me?
Do you remember The Brawl at the Palace? It began with somebody throwing a cup full of beer at Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest and it ended with fans hurling every liquid and missile they could find. Detroit got a black eye for that. I went on ESPN the next day and defended Detroit. Yes, we behaved poorly. The same would play out in any stadium or arena.
Fans are all the same.
** Finally do you want Bengals defenders Vontaze Burfict and Adam Jones on the Lions? I would decline. Burfict, especially is a good player. However, he does not play with smarts. His hit on Antonio Brown was unnecessary and vicious. And then Jones follows up by getting into it with Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter who should be the MVP of the game, just by walking on the field.
Both were unprofessional and their 30 yards in penalties on an incomplete pass shows they are not championship players.
Their actions might also get their coach Marvin Lewis fired.
Foster can be reached at Terry.Foster@cbsradio.com.