Everyone makes mistakes. But when those mistakes are magnified by intense scrutiny of the NFL draft, well, they become much more embarrassing than, say, my typical Friday morning, mustard-stain-on-khakis incident.
Which is why the NFL FanHouse braintrust got together to determine who is the biggest bust for each NFL team. They're not listed in terms of stupidity -- they're all stupid relative to a team's total draft performance. Meaning, of course, some teams "bust" is much different than another organization's; we did it this way to avoid just linking you to DetroitLions.com.
Instead, we're putting it in current draft order, sans trades, and allowing this list to serve as a reminder of each's team's ability to properly execute a fail. The "bust factor" was based primarily on three things: statistical production (or lack thereof), position in the draft and other available options during that year's draft.
I don't know enough about Tom Lewand or Martin Mayhew to comment on whether Lions owner William Clay Ford was wise to promote from within the organization, but history suggests that no one would've complained if Ford blew up the whole operation and started over.
The franchise has just 40 wins this decade, which is slightly more impressive when you consider that the total includes the recently completed 0-for-'08 run. (Not really; it works out to 5 wins a season versus 4.4 wins a season. In the salary-cap era, that blows.) Perhaps predictably, Clay decided to, as they say, stay the course and give current team employees Lewand and Mayhew shiny new titles.
Not surprisingly, the 2009 Lions look very similar to the versions that preceded it. Which is to say: unimpressive and out of sorts. Via PFT, the first post-Rod Marinelli press conference provided plenty of unintentional hilarity. Because after all, laughter -- even if accidental -- is the best medicine. Or something.
Barry Sanders is, in my mind, possibly the greatest running back of all time. Certainly there's a case to made against me suggesting that, since I'm under 30 years old and wasn't cognizant of much more than drool for the majority of Walter Payton's prime. But, hey, I saw Emmitt Smith. And Sanders was way better. So it shouldn't be surprising that his son, Barry Sanders, Jr., is pretty decent. Enjoy the touchdown run.
Now, apparently Junior is already bigger than his dad, but I'm not sure that's entirely to his advantage -- after all, Sanders' smallish size, coupled with his shiftiness and power was what made him so dangerous. Still, if J-R can live up to half of what his dad was, we're all in for a treat.
First of all, I'm not sure what's more disgusting: having to discuss an enema or having to watch the Detroit Lions while eating Thanksgiving lunch. (I'm neither here nor there on whether the nation should be forced to watch them -- sure it stinks but eventually the publicity got Matt Millen run out, and just think of those games of yore that featured Barry Sanders on Turkey Day, not the modern exploits of Daunte Culpepper.)
But I do know that if we're talking about giving something or someone an enema, things are not going well. And if, for any reason, you don't know what an enema is, let's just say it's a most unpleasant method of "cleaning the system". You don't want one. But the Lions, according to one of Florio's sources, need one.
In the wake of the worst Thanksgiving Day loss in franchise history, a management-side league source who had an opportunity to study the Lions for the first time tells us, quite simply, that the Lions "need an enema."
"They are as bad as advertised," the source said.
And as my uncle said, "No wonder the auto-industry is failing; these Ford guys let Millen hang around for years." And yes, he's right. And so is this source -- the Lions need to be flushed, provided they pull Calvin Johnson aside first. But it's a tough process and it's one that takes a deep seeded commitment to a legitimate plan. But the sooner they flush the losing trash, the better off the entire culture will be in the long run, even if it does take a few years to actually happen.
With attention spans dwindling, we forego full game-by-game previews to give you the essentials you need to know about every contest this glorious NFL weekend. Click here to go back in time.
The 1s
San Diego (3-3) at Buffalo (4-1): Trent Edwards is back from being concussed (my favorite word), which is probably a good thing, since they absolutely got rolled by the Cardinals two weeks ago after Edwards went down. The bad news is that he has to face a Chargers defense that sacked Matt Cassel four times last week, basically tossing him around like the plastic bag in that video from "American Beauty." Also, always beware of the LaDainian Tomlinson bounce-back game. He's slumped before, but always has that "140-yard, three-touchdown" game when his fantasy owners are about to give up on him that makes us completely forget about what came before. I'm putting this on the table for LDT -- if he doesn't reach double-digit fantasy points this week against a team that gives up 114 rushing yards per game, he cannot appear in any more cool Nike commercials.
Cheer up, Lions fans, your long national nightmare is about to end. That's right, in just three days the curse of Bobby Layne is set to run out, and your beloved football team will once again return to prominence in the NFL. What's that you ask? The Lions were cursed? Yeah, I had no idea. But apparently this explains everything from Matt Millen, to Joey Harrington, to Barry Sanders suddenly walking away from the game. The Curse Of Bobby Layne website has the full story.
In 1958, after leading the Lions to 3 NFL Championships and providing Detroit nearly decade of Hall of Fame play, the Lions traded Bobby Layne. Bobby was injured during the last championship season and the Lions thought he was through and wanted to get what they could for him. According to Legend, as he was leaving for Pittsburgh Bobby said that Detroit "would not win for 50 years"
With this news, and the fact Millen was finally relieved of his duties two weeks ago, things are really starting to look up for the Lions. But back to this curse business ...
Barry Sanders, as we're all well aware, was an absolutely transcendent talent at tailback. As great as it was seeing him juke NFL linebackers and safeties out of their jocks, it was even better when he was running against vastly inferior competition at the college level.
One helpful YouTube user, in fact, has combined footage from both Barry's college and pro careers. You'll notice that Barry's college highlights are quite a bit longer, if not as numerous--it's a lot harder to turn a spin move into a 40-yard TD in the NFL, after all.
Oh, you'll also miss the greatest soundtrack selection for a football highlight reel in history. When you think Barry Sanders, you don't necessarily make the jump to these guys. But that's what art does. It takes risks. For those purely interested in NCAA content, the NFL stuff starts at 1:48. You'll probably stop watching long before then, though, so mesmerized will you be by the music.
(I promise it's not a RickRoll, by the way. It's so much worse.)
Any commentary I make about the preceding video would only serve to A) ruin the surprise, and B) cheapen what you just experienced. That. Just. Happened.
Ah, Barry Sanders, you left us too soon. Your retirement altered the future of the running back record book, robbed us of precious highlights, tormented a city, gave Ricky Williams a justifiable precedent for ditching Miami, and might have been the reason your coach, Bobby Ross, lost his job. Luckily, Ross isn't bitter. Right.
"I don't know if Barry really loved the game, but he worked hard at it," Ross said. "He did what he was supposed to do. I always wanted him to be a leader, but he didn't really want that role.
PFT explains quite thoroughly why Sanders was, in fact, a tremendous leader, and illustrates the absurdity in the designation. I can't quite pen it as well as Florio, so check out what he has to say (after you finish here, that is).
But even if Sanders wasn't a leader, as Ross said, so what? Barry Sanders wasn't paid to be a leader. He was paid grab a ball and bring it to a particular destination. And he did that quite well, no matter where on the field he was.
The idea that the most talented players should also be team leaders always seemed bizarre to me. You can't force guys into that role -- either they are or they aren't -- and putting pressure on Sanders to be more than he could be might have been the primary reason one of the greatest players in the game's history gave it up and never looked back, leaving a city clinging to hopes of a comeback years after the fact.
Atlanta Falcons 3-8 (4th in NFC South) St. Louis Rams 2-9 (4th in NFC West)
Last Game:
Colts 31, Falcons 13 Seahawks 24, Rams 19
When the Falcons have the ball: There hasn't been much to say about the Falcons offense this year that doesn't fall into the "You know, Coach, yards per carry is an important stat. Maybe you should pay attention to it" or "Well, maybe it's time to give Chris Redman a go?" departments. But Roddy White has been a pleasant surprise. The Rams' defense has been steady against the pass all season, and their rush defense has held three straight opponents to under 100 yards.
To get you ready for week 12, FanHouse is previewing all 16 NFL games. Here is the Detroit Lions/Green Bay Packers preview. 2007 Records: Green Bay Packers: 9-1 (1st in NFC North) Detroit Lions: 6-4 (2nd in NFC North) Last Week: Packers 31, Panthers 17 Giants 16, Lions 10
Why We Care: Two of the biggest surprises in the league this year are going at it in a game that could have playoff ramifications. It's Detroit's first meaningful Thanksgiving game since Barry Sanders. Oh, and it'll give everyone a chance to play "What'll Make You Puke First" between what will be unending heights of Brett Favre love and an abundance of lame Thanksgiving wordplay (2-to-1 odds on a defensive line "stuffing" a running back at some point).
First of all, I'm not sure what's more disgusting: having to discuss an enema or having to watch the Detroit Lions while eating Thanksgiving lunch. (I'm neither here nor there on whether the nation should be forced to watch them -- sure it stinks but eventually the publicity got 
With attention spans dwindling, we forego full game-by-game previews to give you the essentials you need to know about every contest this glorious NFL weekend. 
To get you ready for week 13, 
To get you ready for week 12, 
