Detroit Lions Weblog

Joey Harrington, Esq.

Tony Siragusa’s comments this Sunday have caused quite a stir. I would be remiss if I chose not too address them. I think maybe Tony tapped into some general discontent and frustration among Lion’s fans, that has been unresolved for some time now. Joey Harrington is just the latest target as a member of one of the most poorly run and unsuccesful franchises in all of professional sports.

First off, Joey Harrington will never live down the “Joey Heisman” hype he was adorned with while at the University of Oregon. The 10-story billboard erected in Times Square increased people’s expectations for his performance and leadership. His high draft pick and the quality of his college performance contributed to Lions fans’ expectations. Whether he is capable of meeting those expectations is still be determined.

The Detroit sports franchises and local media have constantly churned out the concept that Detroiters want their athletes to exhibit a “blue collar” work ethic and attitude much like their own. That may have been a possibility in the past, when athletes were actually paid little enough that they often had to hold offseason jobs, but is that reasonable now? On top of that, isn’t it a sign of denial that we expect that ethic from local athletes when from the moment they exhibit any potential as an athlete they are pampered and treated differently from their peers? Furthermore, with the prices to attend games, buy merchandise and concessions how many “blue collar” fans are really able to support their team in this day and age?

Joey Harrington is generally a positive guy when he talks to the media. On the field, he doesn’t ever appear rattled regardless of the score. He doesn’t exhibit the fire and bravado many Lions fans would like to see. Would any of this matter were the Lions undefeated? Does “champagne versus beer” really extrapolate into any sort of authenticity as a team leader?

This is a pivotal time for Harrington and the Lions organization. All Detroit fans want to see Harrington become a top-flight Pro Bowl caliber performer. Rather than question Harrington’s fire, manhood, or choice of spirits why not question the management sense of the organization that implemented an offensive system that is supposedly so complicated that it takes 3-4 years to master in a time when first round draft picks are expected play and perform immediately? That is the real issue at hand in my eyes.