An Old Familiar Tune: Detroit Lions Lose Again

Damn, damn, damn…just when you think something good is going to happen, reality decides to slap you hard in the face and say, “Wake up dummy…it ain’t gonna happen today!”

Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings wasn’t all gloom and doom, but it’s getting a little tiring to talk about moral victories or how certain areas of the team has improved.

Moral victories don’t win football games.

 

Good Points

The Detroit Lions’ defense did a decent job on Sunday; they held Adrian Peterson to 92 yards and Brett Favre to 155 yards passing.

Unfortunately, Peterson and Favre still did enough damage between them to account for three touchdowns. The Lions had Favre under the gun for much of the first half, but as good teams will do, they adjusted the game plan and used bubble screens, quick slants, and underneath routes to move the ball. This opened up the running game more for Peterson and allowed the Vikings to control the clock.

Kevin Smith continues to run hard, getting 84 yards on 24 carries. Matt Stafford tossed his first career touchdown pass, a nice eight-yard flip to Calvin Johnson. However, he tossed career interceptions four and five. 

Call me crazy, but I think he needs improvement in this area. Stafford was 18-of-30 for 152 yards…not setting the world on fire just yet are we?

 

Bad Points

Despite holding the Vikings off for most of the first half, the Lions allowed the Vikings to march down the field with Favre hitting Visanthe Shiancoe with a one-yard touchdown pass. 

Even worse, the Lions received the ball to start the second half and promptly went three-and-out, while the Vikings responded with a field goal to tie the game at 10.

If you look at the statistics of this game, the Lions and Vikings played pretty much even (these are all based on net yards per NFL.com):

Rush Yards: Vikings 112 yards, Lions 129 yards

Total First Downs:  Vikings 18, Lions 17

Passing Yards: Vikings 153 yards, Lions 136 yards

Average Gain on Passing Plays: Vikings 4.9, Lions 4.2

Penalties: Vikings 5-for-43 yards, Lions 6-for-45 yards

Time of Possession: Vikings 29:35, Lions 30:25

The main difference, the Vikings were able to get the ball into the end zone when they had the opportunities. Stafford’s two interceptions were drive killers and Kevin Smith fumbling the ball with the game tied 10-10 allowed the Vikings to kick a field goal, which pretty much sealed the game.

Good teams bounce back. But from what I could catch of the game, the minute the Vikings recovered Smith’s fumble, the Lions began playing on eggshells. It became even more apparent after Longwell knocked the ball through the uprights from 47 yards.

2009 is going to be a season where Lions fans are going to grope for anything good.  However, a win may be a ways off. They might have a shot against the Washington Redskins who held off the Saint Louis Rams 9-7 on Sunday. 

But after that, they face the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, the Pittsburgh Steelers at home, and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

Pretty soon, articles are going to come out saying we need to fire Schwartz or perhaps there will be a fire Mayhew movement started. Or even better yet, passionate pleas to William Clay Ford, Sr. to sell the team.

I’m still rooting for the Detroit Lions…that can’t be helped, it’s hardwired into my DNA. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t lose faith. 

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Lions-Vikings: Beer Thinker’s Week Two Preview

What is the best metaphor for the Lions after having been defeated by Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, only to now face Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings?

Out of the frying pan and into the fire seems best suited.

While the outcome of last week’s game was similar to games played last season, there is a consensus the Lions have improved. Special teams had two good returns to give the Lions good field position, which resulted in 10 of the 27 points scored. Louis Delmas picked up a fumble and ran 65 yards for the score, resulting in another seven points. 

While I agree that overall the team play has improved, a loss is still a loss.

 

Vikings on Offense

The Vikings picked up Brett Favre, and anyone who is a Viking and/or a Favre fan has put the Vikings into the Super Bowl. Favre, while still able to throw the ball better than 95 percent of the quarterbacks in the NFL, has admitted that he doubts his own durability.

He has changed his mindset from being the all-out gunslinger to just managing the game. His 14-of-21 completions, 110 yards, and one touchdown against the Browns showed that. But with a running back like Peterson rushing for 180 yards and three touchdowns, he doesn’t need to do much else. 

The Lions did keep Peterson out of the end zone in the two games played last year, thought he did rush for 216 over those two games. Both of those games were probably Detroit’s best defensive efforts as the Lions lost by a combined six points.

 

Vikings on Defense

The Vikings defense had a solid game last week against the Cleveland Browns. They are currently ranked 11th overall (10th against the pass and 19th against the run). However, they did give up 20 points to Brady Quinn and the Browns, an offense that, like the Lions, has been struggling. They allowed one passing touchdown and held the Browns’ rushing game to 89 yards. 

 

Lions on Offense

One thing the Lions did well last week against the Saints was protect Matt Stafford as they gave up only one sack. Stafford had a lot of opportunities to complete passes, but his accuracy was off. But even at that, there weren’t many wobbly passes. He was throwing nice, tight spirals, even if they did go into the ground. 

He did show flashes of his capabilities in hooking up with Calvin Johnson on a nice 64-yard reception, but they have got to get the ball in CJ’s hands more than three times a game. 

Kevin Smith had 72 total yards, but only 20 of them rushing. He did run hard but had only 15 rushing attempts. The jury is still out on the new offensive blocking scheme.  Brandon Pettigrew has to be more involved, and Stafford must protect the ball better than he did with his three interceptions last week.

 

Lions on Defense

Pretty simple: Stop Adrian Peterson. But as everyone in the NFL is finding out, that is way easier said than done. If the Lions were smart, they would have a linebacker shadow Peterson on every play and rotate between Ernie Sims, Larry Foote, and Julian Peterson.

If they can get the Vikings to pass the ball more, then the game falls into Brett Favre’s hands. 

But Favre has been a Lion killer his whole career. However, as the link above shows, he’s not sure he can last the whole season.

In this article, Favre is quoted as saying, “I probably don’t move around as well as I used to. I don’t think I trust my legs as much as I used to, and I think in all honesty I’m not physically capable as I once was.”

If the Lions can hold back the Peterson tsunami and force the Vikings into a passing game, they will need to attack Favre. It’s their best chance to win for the first time since 2007.

 

Prediction

Ah, what the heck—I am an optimist. Lions 21, Vikings 17.

Salud!

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Detroit Lions’ Home Opener Not Sold Out: Can You Blame the Fans?

In the “Extra Points” section of the Detroit Free Press, I came across this information:

The Lions aren’t saying exactly how many, but there are seats available for Sunday’s game.

If the game isn’t sold out by 1 p.m. Thursday, it will be the first local TV blackout of the season.

In an effort to prod sales, the Lions have offered $78 tickets to Ford employees for just $30.

Cash for clunkers?

Being a big fan of the Lions for so many years, my first reaction to this was to be mad at the fans. But then reality set in. 

Lions fans have endured mediocre teams for decades.

Lions fans have endured the fiasco known as the Matt Millen era, which in my opinion should be renamed the second Dark Ages.

Lions fans have endured William Clay Ford, Sr. for 45 years and his continuous non-involvement and non-accountability for the team’s failures.

Lions fans endured perhaps their most humiliating event, the 0-16 season of 2008, which could be the third Dark Ages.

The Lions had numerous blackouts last year, which we all hoped would send a strong message to Mr. Ford: Your product sucks, and you need to fix it. But many of us had been saying that for years.

They didn’t do themselves any favors by losing 45-27 last week. The defense was the main scapegoat in allowing Drew Brees to throw touchdowns at will and Mike Bell to run for a career-high 143 yards.

It’s not going to get any easier with the Vikings and the Adrian Peterson/Brett Favre show coming to town either.

I can’t blame the Detroit fans for not showing up. Being a native Detroiter, I can relate to what the economic status is in the area. But I find that the Detroit fans don’t mind spending their hard-earned money provided that what they are paying for is worth it.

For the last decade, the Lions have been shaming the fans. They are presenting a Ford Pinto in a Lincoln Continental body. Still, if it looks like crap and smells like crap, then it’s still pretty much crap, right?

So I don’t blame the fans for not shelling out the big bucks for a crappy team. Despite all of the changes, most of which I support and will continue to support, the Lions are still a crappy team. 

Sure, they showed some fire and heart in the New Orleans game. But that doesn’t put butts in the seats. Start winning some games and the fans will come back. Have a winning streak and they will go nuts. Get to the playoffs and Ford Field will become a madhouse.

But let’s start small…just get the first win.

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Detroit Lions Going Through Growing Pains

Ouch.

That about sums up the Detroit Lions’ first real game of the 2009 season against the New Orleans Saints.

Matthew Stafford made his debut, and it was, how shall we say, underwhelming? Sixteen for 37 for 205 yards and three interceptions.

It wasn’t that Stafford was throwing bad-looking passes. They were tight spirals that just happened to end up in New Orleans Saints’ arms.

Stafford’s accuracy will be criticized for a long time until he starts hitting passes like the great looking hook-up with Calvin Johnson on a regular basis.

And just what did we all expect to have happen? All those who were in favor of starting Stafford, let me be the first to tell you, there will be more games like this until Stafford gets it.

But the 45-27 trouncing did have some bright spots:

* The aforementioned 64-yard completion to Calvin Johnson;

* Jason Hanson back and going a perfect 3-for-3 on his field goals, including a 47-yarder;

* Louis Delmas recovering a fumble and returning it 65 yards for a touchdown;

* And Stafford was sacked only once.

But where was the running game? Where was the offensive line that showed such promise in the preseason? Where was the defense?

Ah yes, the defense—an area that was largely ignored in the 2009 draft as the Lions decided to focus on offense.

No sacks on Drew Brees, which is not really surprising as he was only sacked 13 times last year, but cripes, I don’t think they laid a hand on him the whole game.

The secondary was literally abused by Brees, most notably Eric King, who was in for the injured Phillip Buchanon. Granted, he is a backup, but to say that he was lit up is an understatement.

Allowing Brees to throw six touchdown passes indicates two very real and ongoing issues that are impeding the Lions from moving forward:

1. No pass rush—Despite upgrading the linebackers with Julian Peterson and Larry Foote, it made little difference. The Saints’ offensive line had their way with the Lions’ front four, and Brees had all kinds of time to find his receivers…and find them he did by going 26-of-34, 358 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception.

2. Weak secondary—With no pass rush to force bad or hurried throws, the secondary is exposed for what it is: weak.

There are many other areas, such as no run defense. Reggie Bush was held to seven yards, but Mike Bell rumbled for 143 yards.

But let’s be clear. I doubt that even if Daunte Culpepper had started this game, the outcome would not have been any different. Oh, the Lions might not have lost by as much, but they still would have lost.

I know I had predicted the Lions winning between six to eight games this year…but now I’m not so sure. They won’t go winless; at least I hope not.

The Lions are in a steep learning curve, and I believe Jim Schwartz, Scott Linehan, and Gunther Cunningham are the right coaches to get the Lions in the right direction.

I’m also pretty sure that due to this performance, the Lions are going to be doing wind sprints until they fall over.

But I’m not as worried about the offense as I am the defense. The Lions did score 27 points, and most of the time, that’s going to win you some games.

But giving up 515 yards, 28 first downs, and six touchdown passes won’t get you a seat at the Super Bowl unless you are buying a ticket.

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Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints: A Beer Thinker’s Week One Preview

Well, here we are Lions fans…opening game of the Detroit Lions 2009 NFL season.

Coming off the worst seasons ever to be played, the Lions have improved in many areas, most notably on defense in the linebacking and secondary areas.  The defensive line is still suspect.  Still, they finished ninth in the preseason overall. 

But with only six sacks, they are still having problems getting to the quarterback.  On a high note, they did have four interceptions in the preseason, matching their total for all of the 2008 season.

Matthew Stafford has been named the starter against the Saints.  With the new offensive blocking scheme in place, the Lions are going to rely heavily on running backs Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris to move the chains and control the clock.  Calvin Johnson will be a target when the Lions elect to take their shots downfield but tight ends Will Heller and rookie Brandon Pettigrew will have to step up in critical third down situations.

 

New Orleans on offense:  Unless you have been on the planet Mars for the past few years, the Saints are going to pass the ball.  Drew Brees had a fantastic year in 2008, throwing for 5,069 yards, 34 touchdowns and 17 interceptions for a passer rating of 96.2. 

The running game will be shouldered by Reggie Bush now that Deuce McAllister is no longer with the team. 

However, Bush has been bothered by knee injuries and has never really established himself as an every down back.  No question he is the most dangerous on screen and swing passes which plays into the Saints passing game. 

Marques Colston is looking to rebound from last year and Devery Henderson will look to maintain his consistently solid seasons.

 

New Orleans on defense:  For the moment, the Saints defense is licking their chops looking forward to lining up against a rookie quarterback.  Defensive end Bobby McCray wants to “break his spirit” and force Stafford into 3rd-and-long situations and hopefully force turnovers. 

While the offense lit it up last year, the defense was spotty at best.  Head coach Sean Payton brought in defensive coordinator Gregg Williams from the Washington Redskins to re-vamp it.  Expect more blitz packages in order to confuse Stafford.

 

Detroit Lions on offense:  The Matthew Stafford era will begin in New Orleans.  However, don’t expect too much from Stafford in his first game.  The Lions will be looking to control the clock to keep the explosive Saints offense off the field and that means a healthy dose of Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris. 

Stafford has the big arm and Schwartz will take his shots downfield to Calvin Johnson but for the most part, expect crossing patterns by the wide-receivers in the 15-20 yard range and for the tight ends to play a huge part on 3rd-down situations.

 

Detroit Lions on defense:  Perhaps the most suspect unit from 2008 and rightfully so. Ranked 27th against the pass and dead last against the run, most teams, including these New Orleans Saints, scored at will against the Lions.

However, gone is the ineffective Tampa-Two defense and most of the players that ex-coach Rod Marinelli wanted.  In comes new defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham with more focus on attacking the quarterback and an increase in blitz packages. 

The Lions improved the secondary by drafting hard-hitting Louis Delmas and getting Phillip Buchanon from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Lions will need to get Drew Brees on his back and hold the Saints to as many three and outs as they can.  It was hard to get to Brees last year as he was sacked only 13 times.

 

Prediction:  If the Lions can control the clock and keep the Saints offense on the sidelines, they win 21-17.  If not, Saints could blow it out and win by as many as three to four touchdowns.

Ah football…LET THE SEASON BEGIN!

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Daunte Culpepper Showing Some Class in Supporting Stafford As Lions’ Starting QB

For all you Dante Culpepper haters out there, you have to give the man credit. 

He’s showing a lot of class and doing his best not to upset any team chemistry.

Culpepper released the following statement through the Detroit Lions:

“Now that the debate is over and the decision has been made regarding the starting quarterback in Detroit, I would like to make the following statement today so that tomorrow I can put all of my energy into helping our team prepare for our opponent.

“The reason I agreed to restructure my contract in order to stay in Detroit was because I knew that I would have a chance to have a full offseason for the first time in over three years. I also knew that I would have an opportunity to finally compete against whoever the Lions brought in whether via free agency, trade, or the draft.

When the Lions selected Matthew Stafford first overall I was excited. My position is that if you want to be the best you have to beat the best. Coach Schwartz gave me a fair opportunity to compete for the starting job and now the decision has been made that Matt is the best quarterback in Detroit.

I support the decision and I am ready to settle into my role. Matt is a great guy and a talented young quarterback. I am confident that he will lead this team to plenty of victories in Detroit for a long time to come. I look forward to helping Matt in that mission in any way that I can this year.

My role as his backup is not to be seen unless needed and not to be heard from unless required. The Lions organization has treated me with respect and class and they can expect the same from me.”

Like it or not, Schwartz named Matthew Stafford the starting quarterback on Monday.  Culpepper could be pouting right now, but he’s elected to take the high road and be as supportive as he can be and be ready in case Stafford falters.

This will take a lot of pressure off Stafford. He will have the chance to learn the offense and get used to NFL defenses. 

I’m still unsure of Schwartz’s decision to make Stafford the starter. However, for the 2009 season, the Lions are in pretty good shape. They realize they aren’t going to be a contender this year, so get the rookie some reps and see what he can do…and take him out if it gets too embarrassing.

Props to Culpepper for being a team player.

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Lions Football: Stafford To Start—Prelude To Disaster Or a Stroke Of Genius?

What the heck happened in Lionland?

I go away for one long weekend with friends, to get away from phones, email, and any computer, only to come back and see that Matt Stafford has been named the starter for the Detroit Lions.

I am, among many Lions supporters, a proponent to have Stafford watch and learn the offense, and allow Culpepper to run the team until the bye week.

The first six games are going to be the toughest part of the schedule.

New Orleans is going to be a track meet, and perhaps that will allow Stafford the best chance for a good statistical game.

The Saints were rated 23rd overall in team defense last year, (23rd in passing and 17th in rushing). The way the Saints put points on the board, it is an awful lot to ask of a defense—that was lousy last year—to keep the score close. It is even more to ask a rookie QB to keep pace with the Saints, especially at the Superdome.

Next up are the Vikings.

Granted, the Lions were able to keep running back Adrian Petersen in check in 2008, but now, they have QB Brett Farve, who has pretty much had his way with Detroit. On top of that, the Vikings were rated the 6th best defense last year.  Still, in the two games played last year, the Lions lost by a total of 6 points.

Week three sees the Lions come up against the Washington Redskins, the No. 4 ranked defense in 2008. It’s not going to be any easier with Albert Hainsworth added to the mix; a huge test for the OL line here.

The Lions are at Soldier Field in week four, to face Jay Cutler and the Bears.

If the Lions secondary can reel in Devin Hester and the linebackers keep Matt Forte from running wild, they just might have a shot.

Week five, and the Super Bowl champions Pittsburgh Steelers are in town.

Facing the No. 1 defense from 2008, the Steel Curtain hasn’t changed all that much. About the only way a team has a chance against the Steelers is to hope they play over aggressively. Calvin Johnson is going to have to come up big in this game as will rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew.

Week six brings the Lions to the (in my best Chris Berman imitaion) the “frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.”

The Lions haven’t won here since 1991 and they want a rookie QB to change all that?

The first six games don’t bode well for a rookie QB trying to get experience.

I would imagine that Culpepper will be ready to go in each of these games in case Stafford falters—and I’m sure he will. Which is one of the main reasons why I feel starting Stafford now is a mistake.

A QB has to feel that the team is his no matter how bad or how good things are going. The mere fact the Lions have Culpepper waiting in the wings is going to put additional pressure on Stafford to perform.

Stafford will feel that he has to be perfect, otherwise he is going to get benched in favor of Culpepper.

And when perfection is forced, mistakes happen—and bad ones.

If Stafford is going to be the starter, the Lions should release Culpepper and let the chips fall where they may.

Tell Stafford this is his team, win or lose, and the only way he doesn’t play is if he gets hurt.

It may have disastrous short-term effects but in the grand scheme of things, we might have a better QB for the next six years.

And please, before anyone starts throwing names around like Joey Harrington, Andre Ware, and Chuck Long, Stafford isn’t them.

If he fails, he fails as Matthew Stafford. And if he succeeds, he does so as Matthew Stafford.

2009 is yet another rebuilding year for the Lions. When haven’t the Lions been in a rebuilding year?

Yet, this feels different.

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but my gut tells me the Lions are going to be moving forward this year. Yeah, I know, how can they not after an 0-16 season?

There are still so many questions regarding the Lions, most notably, the O-line, the D-line, and the secondary.

Regardless of who is named the starting QB, the Lions still have a long climb ahead of them. 

I only hope the choice to make Stafford the starter doesn’t come back and bite the Lions in their collective rear-ends.

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Jim Schwartz: Finally, a Detroit Lions Head Coach Speaks the Truth!

Jim Schwartz has come out and done something that previous head coaches in the Lions recent past haven’t: he told the Lions fans the truth. When asked at a luncheon held Wednesday at the Detroit Economic Club on what he could say to give the fans hope, he stated:

“Can’t say anything. It’s actions—actions speak louder than words. You guys don’t need a new slogan. You don’t need a new billboard. That stuff doesn’t last. It’s doing the right thing, having a well-arranged plan, having a vision.”

Source:  http://www.freep.com/article/20090903/SPORTS01/909030577/1049/rss14/Lions-coach–No-slogans–just-action-this-year

Finally, a Lions head coach that cuts through the bull.

No Rod Marinelli saying over and over to “pound the rock.”

No Steve Marriucci blaming players for not “getting it” in regard to the West Coast offense.

No Marty Mornhinweg giving up the ball in overtime because of wind conditions.

Schwartz is going to lead this team like no other Lions head coach has done before.  They may not win at first but they will be a well-disciplined team. Mistakes will not be tolerated more than once.

It’s already trickled down to the coordinators. Gunther Cunningham’s tirade after the Cleveland Browns game regarding the ineffective tackling was proof of that.

Detroit Lions fans can finally have a head coach they can respect. He isn’t going to blow sunshine up anybody’s skirt. He will give us what we’ve always wanted: the truth, and some wins.

Will This Be a Year of Redemption for Matt Hasselbeck?

Last year had to drive Matt Hasselbeck to drink…a lot.

From 2003 to 2007, Hasselbeck had been the quarterback who took the Seattle Seahawks to the playoffs five straight years and won the NFC West Division four years in a row.

In 2005, Hasselbeck started all 16 games, threw for 3,459 yards, 24 TDs against nine interceptions and a passer rating of 98.2 while leading Seattle to a 13-3 season and a Super Bowl appearance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2007 wasn’t a bad year for Hasselbeck either. Playing in all 16 games, he threw for 3,966 yards, 28 TDs against 12 INTs and a stellar 91.4 passer rating, guiding the Hawks to their fourth straight division title.

Last year, the wheels fell off for Hasselbeck. Twisting his back in an Aug. 8, 2008 preseason game turned into a bulging disk in his lower back. He missed the rest of the preseason but did start the regular season.

But the injury to his back limited his effectiveness and the Seahawks elected to shut him down for most of the season.

2008 proved that as goes Matt Hasselbeck, so go the Seattle Seahawks. Watching Hasselbeck on the sidelines during the games, you could just see that it was driving him nuts not to be on the field.

For 2009, this has to be a season of redemption for Hasselbeck. After missing nine games last year, he’s had a strong preseason, completing 38 of 59 passes, throwing four TDs, and posting a 111.7 passer rating.

Look for Hasselbeck to come back to his form from 2003 to 2007. The Arizona Cardinals may be the darling of the NFC West right now, but the Seahawks are going to fight hard to gain the top spot again.

Matt Hasselbeck is going to have a lot to do with their success.

An Open Letter to Brandon Marshall

Dear Mr. Marshall,

On behalf of the many fans outside (and maybe inside) the Denver area, I would like to ask you to quit behaving like an ass.

Case in point: Prior to your suspension for insubordination, there were three classless acts that sent a loud message to your teammates and the rest of the NFL teams that might have an interest in your services.

Act I: Walking in practice while the rest of your team was running. Way to show unity with the team. Your issue of being unhappy with your current contract should not carry over to what is being done on the field. 

Act II: Swatting away passes rather than catching them. Yeah, that will show them you mean business. What are you, 12 years old and pissed off at your parents because they won’t let you stay up for an extra hour on a school night?

Act III: Punting a ball instead of handing it over to a ball boy. Even more childish than swatting away passes. I may have given you too much credit by asking if you were 12!

Look, I understand that you feel underappreciated and became upset when the Bronco’s traded away Jay Cutler. I don’t think any wide receiver with your talent would be happy with the wounded ducks that Kyle Orton throws.

I also understand that you feel you are underpaid compared to receivers at your level such as Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Andre Johnson, and Randy Moss. By that same token, you did sign a four-year contract and since you performed so well, your salary for 2009 went from $535,000 to $2.2 million. 

And yet you pout, walk in practice, swat balls away, and punt balls down field in frustration.

Consider those wide receivers that are on the cusp of being cut by teams. They would give anything to have 1/8 of your talent to just play the game.

This is the last year of your contract. Rather than be a petulant child, suck it up, start catching passes and scoring touchdowns instead of bitching about “only” getting $2.2 million dollars. Do you not understand the gift and luck that you have that millions of Americans do not? 

As a selfish child, I wouldn’t imagine that you would. After all, it is all about Brandon, isn’t it?

I submit to you, Mr. Marshall, to man-up, apologize to Coach McDaniels, to your teammates, and to the rest of the NFL. Then, get out there and practice your tail off and put up some huge numbers so that other teams will take notice come free agent time. 

It’s not too late to view this as a bump in the road in your career. People screw up, but the good ones see the error of their ways and correct them.

So quit acting like a baby, apologize for your stupidity, shut up, and start playing football.

Sincerely,

A fan of the game

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