It's not exactly news that Mike Martz's 2008 status with the Lions is tenuous at best. But up until this point, I don't think anyone's really asked Martz about it. Jon Kitna went on the record (as he always does) supporting Martz, but the "offensive genuis" wasn't quite as talkative as Kitna (few people are).On quarterback Jon Kitna's comments Wednesday that it would be a mistake for the Lions to part with him: "Those are all things that ... The timing of this and discussing those kinds of things, I'm just not comfortable with right now. Whatever's going on, we'll visit that at the end of the season. ..."Maybe I'm just reading too much into things, but those seem like the words of a man resigned to his fate. If Martz was going to stay, wouldn't he have quelled the questions by just stating so? Also, "maybe we'll talk after the season," sounds bleak (unless you're a Lions fan who misses the run game).
On whether he wants to come back: "Like I said, we'll visit all those things when the season's over with."
On this being reporters' last opportunity to ask him questions before the end of the season: "Well, maybe we'll talk after the season. Who knows? Don't worry about that stuff, guys. Let's just concentrate on beating the Packers right now."
With one game to go, Martz obviously can't admit that he's probably a goner. Read between those lines, though, and the answer seems clear.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Mike Martz is a good coach. Always has been. He doesn't always get along with the front office.
While his offense wasn't great, averaging just over 22 points per game, the Lions defense was pitiful, giving up 28 points a game. Can't really have a winning record without a decent defense. Early on, their defense was competitive. Since Kitna's brag was over publicized (i.e. winning at least 10 games) their defense has been pathetic. The Washington defense is no slouch, thus the lions poor score.
Get rid of the head coach - to be honest with you, I can't even remember his name. But there's no way Bill Ford and his punching bag of a general manager is ever gonna do the right thing.
Posted at 9:50PM on Dec 27th 2007 by Troy Haltom
2. On Martz,
It's funny, I told my wife that Martz IS actually the LIONS head coach, look, the season is ending,and thier talking to him, and about him as if he's the head coach, is he coming back, or not?, who ever heard of this?. I could swear the t.v cameras go to Martz more than the actual head coach, See, in St. Louis, even as the Rams were marching to thier S.B 34 win that season, the recently hired Martz was causing division on the team amongst the staff, thier was Vermiel guys, and Martz guys, who has ever heard of this?, eventially Martz slithered his way in, and took a championship team, given to him like a gift(Martz did not build the greatest show on turf), and he drove it into the ground, not winning one champoinship with all that talent, Martz is a team cancer, he also caused drama, and division amongst the RAMS(or whoever's) players that was just plain weird, even going as far as having a fued with his qb's wife. It was so disgusting that with are last good team(12-4, with Faulk, aneus.Williams,Polly, Wistrom, turly, Curtis, Seahorn, to name a few, and a younger Bruce, and Holt), a team that could have at least made it to the S.B(and lost again to the cheating PATS of coarse, but....), it was a contender, and Martz puts in a good, and promising young qb, but still green, with a two time mvp and S.B mvp sitting on the bench with a clip board, and we lose and are upset by Carolina in double o.t, we should have beat them easy, and we would probably have beat Philly to, what a shame that was, all because of a petty grudge. The Lions would be better off withought him, if you want to pass alot just hire any protege of the coriel O", Martz is one, so is Norv Turner, there's others, Zampese being the greatest, also being Martz, and Turners mentor, but he is probably retired allready, i'm 99% sure, maybe he can be lured out? Anyway to wrap things up, This guy is a team poison. The RAMS O' was so talented(now to be fair I do love that coryell O', Martz installed, it was perfect for the 99" RAMS, but they would have won with, or withought him.) Martz is real smart, but his handicap is he is a jackass, plain, and simple. I feel sory for the team, and fans stupid enough to hire him as head coach again, or just hiring him at all, if he is on your team, HE IS THE HEAD COACH!, the ego, and evil genius of MARTZ is bigger than any head coach can withstand!
Posted at 12:22AM on Dec 28th 2007 by Scott L. Jinks
3. Maybe instead of asking the media to concentrate on a win in Green Bay, Kitna should have asked his team to do the same...
Martz is gone, good riddance. Everyone wants to blame the defense, but when the offense continues to deliver 3-and-outs again and again, I can see why the defense gets tired and eventually gives up. Martz's high-octane offense never developed as promised, and I don't think the Lions will be any worse for dumping the guy. We learned that pass-happy doesn't work for us under the failed Morningwheg/Mariucci West-Coast offense era. Maybe, just maybe, we finally develop the run threat we lost when number 20 left town on his daddy's advice. I think Duckett is a keeper, but we need to let Kevinjury Jones and Bell go. Maybe Brian Calhoun, in his third year as a pro, can develop into the finesse guy we need for the first two downs, or maybe we take Mike Hart in the second round of the draft.
Or we just blow the whole thing up and start from scratch. Either way, I'll end up putting my heart and soul into the 2008 lineup.
Posted at 4:16AM on Jan 1st 2008 by Ugh