NFL Offseason Thread

[Lord Avalon]

That's some mighty fine Koolaid, Mr. Ford

Kitna: Lions will win more than 10 games

June 24, 2007

FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

In March, Jon Kitna predicted that the Lions would win 10 games this season.

Now he's upping the ante.

"See, that was 10 games before I saw the schedule, too," the quarterback told WDFN-AM (1130) this week. "I'll keep to myself what I think we actually will win. But it's more than 10 games."

The Lions went 3-13 last season and are 24-72 in the Matt Millen era.

"I think, last year, man, it really sucked," Kitna said. "But the good thing about it, like coach (Rod) Marinelli said, he found out who wanted to be here, who didn't, and he's been able to put his stamp on this team."

Kitna also predicted greatness for rookie receiver Calvin Johnson.

"I don't like putting a lot of pressure on people, but Calvin Johnson, to me, will have about the same impact that Reggie Bush had in New Orleans," Kitna said. "He's everything that they said he was and more. ... I mean he's 235 (pounds), runs a 4.3 (40-yard dash), he's got tennis rackets for hands. ..."

Kitna mentioned the team's speed on defense, new defensive coordinator Joe Barry and tailbacks Tatum Bell and a healthy Kevin Jones as reasons for the impending Lions turnaround. "Teams have gone from 3-13, 4-12 and 5-11 to having great leaps," Kitna said. "And we're the team to do it."

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070624/SPORTS01/706240680/1049

I'll believe it when I see it.

No, I won't.

But I'll buy lot's of down jackets to sell in Hell.

I looked at the schedule and was having trouble seeing how the Lions would even double last year's win total.

[OzzyKP]

I sure as hell hope he is right.





(i won't be holding my breath though)

[Donegeal]

He's got hands like tennis rackets...

I don't mean to bother Kitna, but tennis rackets are made to have things bonce off them...

[snoopy369]

JR, I am not profiling. Profiling is saying "he's black so he must be up to something."

I'm saying "He's Tank Johnson and he's been up to things consistently in the past, therefore he probably was up to something this time also."

If there was a good reason for him to be up at 3:30am, then I think they'd have said so by now. The silence implies to me that it wasn't a good reason.


And there's no way in heck the Lions win 10 games this season. I don't care if they do have Calvin Johnson, they still have a lousy defense and a lousy offense aside from Johnson, and not particularly interesting special teams either.

Oh, and they have Matt Millen.

[-Jrabbit]

Snoopy369 -- I didn't say you and Sloww were profiling based on race.

You're definitely IMHO engaging in the advancement of unsupported innuendo and prejudgment based on (1) expectations based on past performance and (2) the freaking time of day.

I prefer to believe that, if there were salacious conditions, they would have been part of the story, or subsequently leaked. The officer's "observations" leading to the "minimally DUI" arrest (or whatever it's called) could easily be nothing more than the way anyone acts at 3 a.m. -- a little groggy.

We'll learn the truth of the situation in good time.

[Guynemer]

My over/under on Lions wins this season: 4

Yup, I'm an optimist.

[SlowwHand]

I say 8.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'm with Sloww (shocking, ain't it? )... 8 is my pick.

[Donegeal]

'Embarrassed' Bears cut Tank Johnson

'Embarrassed' Bears cut Tank Johnson
'Embarrassed' Bears cut Tank Johnson

June 25, 2007

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -- Tank Johnson was released Monday by the Chicago Bears, who are "upset and embarrassed" by the defensive tackle's legal troubles.

Johnson was waived three days after he was pulled over by police in Arizona. He already had been suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 season for violating probation on a gun charge. He spent two months in jail and was released in May.

ADVERTISEMENT


"We are upset and embarrassed by Tank's actions last week," general manager Jerry Angelo said in a statement. "He compromised the credibility of our organization. We made it clear to him that he had no room for error. Our goal was to help someone through a difficult period in his life, but the effort needs to come from both sides. It didn't, and we have decided to move on."

Police in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert said Johnson was stopped for driving 40 mph in a 25 mph zone at 3:30 a.m. Friday and the officer made observations that led him to believe Johnson was impaired.

Sgt. Andrew Duncan, a police spokesman, said Johnson was arrested for "DUI Impaired to the Slightest Degree" but was released without being booked or charged.

Duncan said Johnson was taken to the Gilbert police station, where officials drew blood for a blood-alcohol content test before his release. He described Johnson as "very cooperative."

Good for us them! Someone who is 'trying' to improve bad choices shouldn't be getting pulled over at 0330 am.

[-Jrabbit]

RIP Tank. Have a nice life...

[Lord Avalon]

Hey, -Jrabbit, I thought you were against this rush to judgment.

[SlowwHand]

This is the part I didn't understand. The man has money.
Why is he driving? Why do anything that in the slightest way puts yourself at risk?

[Donegeal]

Because he makes bad choices?

[SlowwHand]

You may be on to something, Donegeal.
There's a trend developing, isn't there? By gawd, I think you're right.

[-Jrabbit]

Originally posted by Lord Avalon
Hey, -Jrabbit, I thought you were against this rush to judgment.

I haven't judged him; the Bears have. I stand by my previous statements, and I wish him well.