Kitties lose workouts

[Guiness]

From NFL.com, Detroit has lost two mandary camp days. What a joke though - they've been replaced by non-mandatory workouts. We all remember the hoopla created when Javon and a couple of other players missed optional workouts last year. Sherman saying he was disappointed, etc.

If the NFL really wanted to punish them, they would've cancelled them altogether. No player in his right mind would miss one of those camp days.

Big Deal (http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/9419758)

[Homer Jay]

Possibly the weakest slap on the wrist ever.

[motife]

Mike Martz is a time bomb waiting to explode :

Analysis: Martz throws first fit, but Marinelli still wields control
Thursday, May 04, 2006
By Tom Kowalski
ALLEN PARK - Rod Marinelli was prepared for this.

Marinelli, the Detroit Lions head coach, wasn't bothered when offensive coordinator Mike Martz got upset and walked out of the team's facility Tuesday afternoon.

According to several sources close to the situation, Martz was irritated by something - no one contacted for this story is exactly sure what that was - but Martz was angry. There wasn't a lot of drama or angst, Martz just decided to leave. He was back at his desk Wednesday morning and everything is fine. For now.

Welcome to Rod Marinelli's world.

When Marinelli interviewed Martz for the job back in January, it took Marinelli more than a week to make his decision to hire him because Marinelli had a lot of things to think about. On the plus side, he was getting one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL. Since Martz was hired, nearly every person in the Lions organization has used the word "genius" in describing him. His knowledge of offensive football is unmatched - at least by anyone employed by the Lions in the last several decades.

However, there's also the negative side. Martz can be overbearing, rude, unpredictable, selfish, pushy and extremely volatile. It was the "genius" part that won over Marinelli. That, and his refusal to accept anything less than 100 percent in terms of technique, execution and hustle.

Martz won a Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams and he went back to one as the team's head coach. He's very set in his ways and has an unyielding belief in his way of doing things. But that doesn't always mesh with what Marinelli believes and here's where the problems begin to boil.

Marinelli made it clear to Martz from the beginning that there would only be one voice in the Lions organization and it would belong to Marinelli. Still, Marinelli knew that he would have some power struggles with Martz in how to operate the offense, not so much in terms of the playbook and the installation, but in how it would be done. Marinelli is a stickler for beginning with the basics and building a foundation and moving slowly forward. Martz wants touchdowns and he wants them right now.

From the day he was hired, Marinelli's approach has been one of intensity, but with patience, too. The only promise he makes is that the Detroit Lions will be a better team, more fundamentally sound, smarter and better conditioned. Martz, on the other hand, walks through the halls of the practice facility and -- this is true - says things like "Touchdown, Lions. Touchdown, Lions" and "Line 'em up and let's go for two (points)."

Martz has no patience and zero tolerance. If he's not happy, then everybody around him is not happy.

Speaking of unpredictable, here's the part of Martz that Marinelli really likes. During the recent voluntary minicamp, the offensive players were attending an early evening meeting when a suddenly irate Martz demanded that they go back on the field. Upset with the team's seven-on-seven passing drill earlier in the day, Martz wanted all of his players to go through the plays again.

The players thought their day was winding down, but Martz made them suit up again and hit the practice field. That part of Martz didn't bother Marinelli, either.

As the season approaches, though, there are going to be more clashes between Marinelli and Martz, but Marinelli is convinced that the unorthodox Martz has his heart and motives in the right place - he just wants to score and to win … and then score some more.

It takes a mentally tough head coach to put up with a personality like that and Marinelli isn't intimidated by the task. In fact, as long as that offense puts up points, he'll embrace it.

[VegasPackFan]

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT

[Rastak]

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT


As a Viking fan I can't really throw stones at any other franchise right now but I did wonder if Martz and Hendersdon would take turns melting down each week.

[BooHoo]

Does Martz have an Anger problem?

[lynn dickey]

This was on PFT about the Lion's situation... you knew this guy was a hard ass when they hired him and wondered how long it would take for the players to revolt. Doesn't sound like it took too long...

Although the AP report contains no additional details, respected Lions beat writer Tom Kowalski writes that a "couple of" players complained about the sessions because they were "too physical."

Per Kowalski, "the players were upset at the high intensity and aggressiveness demanded in the team drills and believed the coaching staff was going over the line." Kowalski also says that "the team drills were very physical even to the point where, on at least one occasion, an offensive lineman and defensive line lineman got into a scuffle over the heavy contact."

Article XXXVI, Section 4 of the CBA prohibits "'live' blocking, tackling, pass rushing, [and] bump-and-run."

The reality, however, is that most teams' offseason workouts and minicamps feature "live" line play. We've heard in the past that the linemen generally would prefer to be in pads for the offseason drills due to all of the hitting.

So what we think happened here is that the guys who were more accustomed to the player-friendly (i.e., we suck but at least everyone likes me) approach of Steve Mariucci didn't react well to new coach Rod Marinelli's "hut-two-three-four" style.

Were the minicamp practices any more physical than before? Probably not. But was the new coaching staff a little deeper into the players' rear ends? Probably so.

Although the CBA also prohibits the imposition of discipline on any of the players who finked on Frank Barone's long lost son, we'll bet some of Charles Barkley's walking-around money that Marinelli will find out who squealed -- and that they won't be Lions come September.

[KYPack]

Ahh, an excellent start to the third "Millen-inium".

This whole bthing is too beautiful.

Martz is nuts

Millen is an incompetent squirrel

Marinelli is in over his head.

The final meltdown could be fantastic.

[lynn dickey]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=dw-lions050706&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Another article about the lions thing. Really funny, too. This is great, usually it takes a season or two for players to get sick of a coach, apparently some Lions figured they better take a stand now. let's hope no one figures out who they are so they can keep this up...

[Fritz]

I love it. Millen has thrown two coaches under the bus so far, and he can't do that any more without losing his own job. Man, the Lions are one hapless organization.

Sure makes it easy to be in their division.