Thread: These are the facts and they are not in dispute

Bullitt I think the reason for the firings of both Angelo and Polian are very similar. Over the past five years both have failed to keep their teams stocked with the talent needed to challenge for a championship every year. In Polian's case it was his inability to restock a team that was becoming depeleted through age, free agency losses, and the fact that the money paid to one player (Manning) made it difficult for Polian to keep or attract top tier FA talent. Far too much of the team resources and dependencies were one player and when he went down all of the teams other weaknesses were exposed.

In Angelo's case it was more due to the fact that he was not as successful in drafting talent as he needed to be which meant spending valuable draft choices and free agent dollars constantly trying to plug holes that were the result of is lack of an ability to recognize and draft good players. And, like Polian, he was guilty of putting far to much of the burden of winning on too few shoulders so when, much like the Colts, we lost our starting QB the lack of an adequate backup cost us the playoffs. We should feel fortunate that it didn't happen earlier in the season when Cutler was getting shelled everytime he dropped back to pass. If that was the case we'd be in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes too.

Lovie gets his share of the blame but it's not quite enough to discharge him just yet. He gets one more chance with a GM who can get him the players he needs to fill those obvious holes and one year with an OC who can build a successful offense around the talent at hand. I won't hold Lovie responsible for that pathetic offense because he knows jack shit about it which is why we ended up in the fix we did to begin with. He gets one more year to get back on top and if that doesn't happen he'll be gone too.

One more think I'd like to add in response to the quote,"Coach Lovie Smith, who manages to escape firing nearly every year by pointing the finger at everyone else". Fact???? Bullshit is more like it.

Even in his dismissal of Mike Martz he was gracious enough to compliment some of the positives that came from Martz being OC (and boy you have to search kinda hard for those when your offense ranks in the lower third of the league) and even allows Martz's claim of "resigning" when we all know that's bullshit too. The official word is that the two sat down to discuss matters and agreed that it was best they headed in different directions.

Where is the blame in that? It's a simple statement of what everyone of us already knows. If there is a poorer OC match for Lovies "we get off the bus running" offensive philosophy than Mike "Downfield Passing" Martz I haven't found him. This marriage was doomed from that start so they may just as well play it in the same phony way Hollywood stars do when their relationships and marriages sour. With copious amounts of sad farewells and good wishes for the ex and statements like "we'll always love one another" or "we remain the best of friends". Just how sincere is that anyway?


Lovie didn't point a finger of blame at a guy who cost him a shot at the playoffs because he mishandled the QB situation and almost cost him his job. He just sited irreconcileable differences. We all knew Martz wasn't coming back anyway.

As for Jerry Angelo. Maybe some missed the interview the MNF broadcasting crew had with him prior to the first Detroit game. For those who missed it that was the interview where he threw his team and coaching staff under the bus by claiming the player talent was there they just weren't performing up to their capabilites. Even the broadcast crew was surprised by those remarks. Of course then we saw the Lions go out and virtually destroy the Bears Oline, the same one Angelo had insisted was dealt with and repaired by the drafting of Carimi and the FA signing of Spencer. And of course who was the leading man in that farce? None other than that bundle of latent talent Frank Omiyale who couldn't block a stationery object that night let alone Cliff Avril. Even then Angelo refuses to accept that mistake. Frank Omiyale is the absolute worst OT we've ever had since the days of Stan Thomas and to think we pursued him as a free agent when no one else wanted him.

So in his observation of his firing did Lovie point any fingers? Hell no, he actually complimented the guy and their accomplishments. I can't find one instance where Lovie pointed a finger at Mike Martz or Jerry Angelo for this years slide into oblivion. Not one even though it was painfully obvious that Angelo had let the team down very badly this offseason and that regardless of Lovies attempts to change it Mike Martz was still gonna do what Mike Martz pleased.

Whatever other facts the thread puports to contain that Lovie Smith pointed fingers at anyone this year is a falsehood.

A good reply soulman. Certainly can't fault your logic.
My main reason for posting the linked opinion piece, is the audaciousness of Phillips handcuffing a GM
right off - publicly. I couldn't pick a GM, but I sure as heck wouldn't risk diminishing the field of potentials
without having taken a meeting (in person) with them first.
Yes Cutler was doing a decent job when he wasn't running for his life, or staring up at the clouds after yet another line failure,
but for a team President to put out absolutes about personnel (staff or player),
he should take over the GM duties himself, because that should be the GM's providence. Just my opinion.

Well it's only for a year brother and after that if Lovie hasn't kept everyone convinced that he and his staff are the right guys they'll be gone too. I think we'd all be willing to admit that despite Angelo's failures this past offseason to secure the LT position and procure a legit #1 WR and Martz refusal to keep his promise and comply with the need for more conservative gameplans and playcalling, if we hadn't lost Cutler we'd have been no worse off than 10-6 and in the playoffs.

Given what they were up against with lacking the right personnel and with the disruptions from Forte and Briggs when the season opened I think the coaching staff, with the exception of Martz, did a pretty fair job and earned another shot at the prize without those roadblocks. As much as I've been a crtitic of Lovie's brand off football in the past I saw him turn the corner in many ways this season. I do believe he's matured greatly as an NFL HC and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for another year. I'll also say this. If Lovie is let go he won't stay unemployed very long. He's a worthwhile coach and somebody would grab him as their DC if nothing else.

As for the new GM like I posted he's walking into a situation that requires immediate attention to player personnel and he has a fat enough wallet to get some things done quickly. I think Ted Phillips will make it clear to all of the candidates that improving talent and depth will be their first and only priority year one. If it was me I'd actually be happy to not have to hire a new coach right away. All that would do is delay talent evaluations of existing players and leave less time to prepare to scout bowl games and the combine later this month.

I believe Phillips, McCaskey and Lovie want this guy to get a running start of FA and the draft. We have a significant cap excess, better than any other NFCN team, and this time I think they want to see that the money is well spent not just spent period. Any good GM looking to improve talent should be able to look at a decent coaching staff in place when he arrives as more of a benefit than a detraction.