More Mooch News

The Lions firing of Steve Mariucci certainly has created plenty for folks to write about. Here is more Mooch news than any one person should subject themselves to. If that's not enough, and it is, then check out these bonus rounds. Curt Sylvester makes a suggestion to Mr. Ford. Then there is this rather funny bit from Chris Lynch that I found via Eric McErlain of Off Wing Opinion fame. Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN.com wonders, like many others, why Matt Millen remains?

Last, but clearly not least, there is Dre Bly tossing Joey Harrington under the bus. I can't figure out which part of Bly's notion is more wrong: That Harrington is the primary reason Mariucci got whacked or that if Jeff Garcia had stayed healthy he would have solved the Lions' ills.

The problem is Bly dislikes Harrington personally. It's not surprising considering the lack of respect Mariucci consistently displayed for Harrington. His inability to commit to Harrington only fostered the environment of negativity towards the former first round pick. Bly overlooks the wideouts inability to show up for practice or perform (on any day of the week), the poor offensive line play and Garcia's own statements indicating he questions whether Detroit's management (Millen) is capable of assembling a winning team just so he can toss some smack at Harrington. Any wonder why some question Mooch's ability to control his lockeroom?

After watching, listening and reading the statements of coaches and players for a lifetime, I have come to the conclusion that many of them are no more well informed on the issues in front of them than the media they distrust or the fans they dismiss. Those directly involved do not always provide clear insight because they have their own set of built-in or built-up prejudices. They allow that bias to cloud their thought process just as they suggest the fans and media do.

Have you heard any of these ex-coaches or jocks on the talking head shows? They routinely disagree on strategy, coaching techniques and talent evaluation, to name just three topics. If neither party can agree on the basics why should the views of the media, or even us fans, on the same matters be summarily dismissed them? In fact, Bly's "Joey bashing" sounds more like the prototype angry caller to sports-talk radio than insider perspective.