Detroit Lions Weblog

Reunion Time

The back story for this weekend’s Philly versus Detroit matchup is quite interesting. First off, you have “T.O.”, Terrell Owens and the Mooch, Steve Mariucci. While they were both members of the San Francisco organization the two were oil and water. Mariucci didn’t approve of Owen’s juvenile behavior and there rifts were well documented. Interestingly enough, both Mariucci and Owens were unceremoniously expunged by the 49ers. Apparently neither fit into their long range plans. Their is no questioning of T.O.’s heart and ability, unfortunately for him that same passion goes unchecked while talking into the lollipops. Mooch, is a highly regarded head coach who has an infectious positivism that seems to be effective with the development of young players. He has yet to prove he can lead a team to the promised land, though. I believe on some level the two of them have some respect for each other. Turmoil and upheaval get priority in media coverage (i.e. if it bleeds it leads).

This Sunday’s game will also reunite Marty Mornihnweg, Matt Millen and the ghosts of Lion’s seasons past. I will never forget the bill of goods Lions fans were sold about these two blue collar guys cruising into town on their motorcycles and possessing the swagger and winning attitudes necessary to restore nearly forgotten football glory to Motown. We were all lead to believe that coming from the San Fran/Green Bay Tree of NFL coaches that their rebuilding program would be effective and immediate. Little did Lion’s fans know, that both would be learning on the job and that Mornihnweg was essentially keeping the seat warm should Mariucci (the team’s first choice to coach) become available. Also many of us were unaware of what kind of shape the organization was truly in and how it had fallen on such hard times personnel wise. It turned out that Mornihnweg was mostly jousting with windmills and that organizationally it isn’t sound football decision-making to attempt to implement an offensive system that takes too long to develop(purportedly 3-4 years) in the face of NFL parity, free agency, and the salary cap. The economics of the NFL make it very hard for you to live without immediate returns upon your investments. San Francisco’s continued personnel turnover as a result of poor decisions with structuring contracts within the salary cap may be another example of this.

Another interesting aspect to this matchup is Andy Reid and Mariucci. They along with Mike Holmgren, Jon Gruden, Mike Sherman, Dick Jauron, and Marty Mornihnweg are among the leading disciples of the Bill Walsh San Fran/Green Bay coaching tree. They both adhere to similar philosophies in trying to establish a ball control offense, that is efficient and insists that its quarterbacks complete a high percentage of short passes and make the correct decisions on plays that have a high percentage of success. Where their differences in that philosophy seem to lie in that Mariucci subscribes to the ground game being an important element of that game plan where Reid seems to have almost an aversion to it. Personally, I believe there are unmeasureable advantages to establishing the run and controlling the trenches that Reid can’t account for dinking and dunking for 3 yard gains. Both are attempting to prove that their lineage can lead teams to NFL glory. In the copycat world of professional sports, their philosophies may become old hat as quickly as they became en vogue.