Harrington sabatoged Lions 'QB school'
Friday, March 17, 2006
By Tom Kowalski
Joey Harrington is going, going -- but not gone yet.

The Detroit Lions quarterback won't be back with the team next year, but he might stay on the roster for a while. The Lions will try to salvage something out of the situation and attempt to trade Harrington -- and they might be willing to wait for the right deal.

Harrington's fate in Detroit was sealed Thursday when the Lions signed free-agent quarterback Josh McCown (Arizona Cardinals) to a two-year deal, just two days after signing free agent Jon Kitna (Cincinnati Bengals). McCown and Kitna will compete in training camp for the starting quarterback job.

Those signings squeezed Harrington out of the Lions' future plans, but Harrington played a big role in punching his own bus ticket out of town.

Harrington was so adamant about leaving the Lions that several people close to the situation believe he sabotaged his appearance at last week's "quarterback school" with new offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

During the classroom sessions, when asked to go to the board and break down plays, Harrington put forth little effort. When asked to either open his playbook or to take notes, Harrington either refused or was extremely slow to do so. He was lethargic and uncooperative. According to sources, it was quickly apparent to Martz that Harrington had no desire to be there.

After Martz and Harrington had words, Harrington went into a meeting with Lions officials and told them he didn't want to play for Detroit any longer. Harrington was so determined to leave the team that, according to sources, he said he'd be willing to restructure his contract in any way that would quicken his release.

Harrington's desire to leave the Lions was sparked not by the management or the new coaching staff, but the entire negative environment that surrounded him, including fans, media and his own teammates. According to sources, Harrington told team officials during an emotional exchange that "I hate everybody on this team and everybody hates me."

Good for him.

Tell it like it is, Joey.

If I were him, I'd open up to the media, and bury anyone and everyone on that team that I could. I'd talk about who is cheating on their wives, who takes steroids, who does drugs, who is an alcoholic, etc.

I'd fucking trash and burn the organization that treated him so fucking shitty and may have destroyed his career.

I rarely listen to AM 1270, but I had it on yesterday, and Art Regner made a great point. He was asked to discuss his most vivid memory of Joey's career in Detroit. He chose a game in which (I'm paraphrasing) "it was obvious to anyone who watched the game that the receivers were dropping every single pass, but in the press conference, Marriucci blamed the loss on Harrington. That right there is the memory that most accurately reflects Joey's four years in Detroit."

Apologist^

Although I have to say that it's nice to see him finally showing that he's not a robot ("We'll learn from this loss" yadda, yadda). It's just a little too late.


According to sources, Harrington told team officials during an emotional exchange that "I hate everybody on this team and everybody hates me."

I'm surprised that they left off the part about him running into his room and slamming the door afterwards.

Apologist^

Although I have to say that it's nice to see him finally showing that he's not a robot ("We'll learn from this loss" yadda, yadda). It's just a little too late.


According to sources, Harrington told team officials during an emotional exchange that "I hate everybody on this team and everybody hates me."

I'm surprised that they left off the part about him running into his room and slamming the door afterwards.

Why? Is it LESS mature than what Bly did?

"You can't blame one guy for the state of the team, especially since its all one guy's fault - - - Joey!"

For some reason, I find it less mature to "emotionally" state that "I hate everybody and everybody hates me" than I do to say "Harrington sucks".

Can't really explain why.

For some reason, I find it less mature to "emotionally" state that "I hate everybody and everybody hates me" than I do to say "Harrington sucks".

Can't really explain why.

I see where you're going with that, but honestly, under the circumstances, I think it was a fair and accurate statement, as opposed to a childish one. I guess it depends on the context. In the context I read it, it sounded mature and extremely insightful, not immature and childish.

EDIT: In other words, he's the one being realistic and adult, while the Lions are being unrealistic and childish trying to sweep everything that has happened under the rug and expecting everyone to coexist.

Good for Joey?

If Alonzo Mourning or Dwayne (I can't spell it like he does) Wade did this you'd be calling him a fucking baby.

Glenn has it right. He "sabotaged" his evaluation? Talk about playing the pouty bitch role. I'm not a Joey hater and I think the "he never had an O-line" argument has merit but this is a move I'd expect from my 2-year-old daughter in a few years, not the guy who's supposed to lead a team. There's absolutely no need for it as he could just tell Millen "Look, I'm not playing. Period." Somebody should have clocked this prick in the mouth while he was "opening his playbook extremely slowly" and told him that in the real world you act like a man even when you are quiting. Just fucking refuse to be "re-evaluated" don't play the pouty prom-queen runner-up.

"Is it any worse than Dre Bly?" Who gives a shit? That's no justification even if Bly's is worse. "Good for Joey", fucking bullshit.

To be honest, I thought Harrington was done in Detroit for good once Garcia took the job from him. I was really surprised that they went back to Harrington as opposed to going with Danny O.

Then they shocked me again at the end of the season when I thought for sure that he was done for good here and they insisted that he was coming back. It just seemed like a relationship with a chick that was over and the guy keeps holding out hope that it's going to work out. But it never does.

The only thing that I can attribute the Lions desire to try and make this work with Joey several times after it was obvious that it was over was Millen's ego. He didn't want to admit that the draft pick was a mistake and a bust.

Cutting a pick that high or trading him for a 5-7th round pick (only 4 years later) is the realization that it was a mistake, and that realization should have come much, much sooner, IMO.

I think this is bull shit of Joey. If he wanted out, he should have gone to Millen and fixed this prior to sabatoging meetings. Handle it like a man. If you want out, I don't blame him. But this was pretty shady. Just say you want out. Hold out if that's what it takes. Just don't mail it in. You waste your time, and everyone else involved in evaluating your whiney ass.

Joy finally shows his true colors.

Good for Millen.

I don't like Joey or anything but he is just stating what is fucking obvious and it's nice to see him grow some balls.

As for Bly he is a complete fucking joke and I would cut his ass if I were coach. He is also probably the most over rated Lion of all time. It looks really cute when he gets a pick but provided he doesn't lateral it to the wrong guy, those plays don't make up for his small size and the fact that he gets burned at least as many times a game as he makes a pick and I'm sure he gets burned or misses a tackle plenty more times a game than he makes a play.

Bly is a nickel CB and that's about it.

Apologist^

Although I have to say that it's nice to see him finally showing that he's not a robot ("We'll learn from this loss" yadda, yadda). It's just a little too late.


According to sources, Harrington told team officials during an emotional exchange that "I hate everybody on this team and everybody hates me."

I'm surprised that they left off the part about him running into his room and slamming the door afterwards.

Why? Is it LESS mature than what Bly did?

"You can't blame one guy for the state of the team, especially since its all one guy's fault - - - Joey!"
i'm giving the scoring point to taymelo. Bly was grown and joey is a baby? rrriiiggghhhtt

To be honest, I thought Harrington was done in Detroit for good once Garcia took the job from him. .
im sorry but "took". last i checked it was like anything else with lions qb's. the crowd calls for the backup who sucks and the coach breaks down or in some cases wanted to breakdown...As far as i see mariuccia played ya'll. he did the old"i'll sign my old worthless guy and watch the crowd beg for him, because thats what they do"...and the same fucks chanted for joey after garcia sucked monkey balls. i hope he plays the lions this year and lights bly up. so bly blame the current qb for losing.

Uh, this is a killer article. Its Lions propaganda. He's pracitally on the damn payroll. Joey didn't say this shit to the media, hell, he likely never said it at all, Bly went on fucking TV and radio and called Joey the root of the problems, and now joey is quoted by "Lions sources" in an Mlive piece and you dopes are trying to compare it.

Killer's hardly a plant. He's pissed off management and been cold shouldered by the Lions plenty. And it being on MLive is a plus to its credibility IMO, its not like the Freep or News are bastions of sports investigative reporting. Or are you a huge Oakland Press fan?

Killer's hardly a plant. He's pissed off management and been cold shouldered by the Lions plenty. And it being on MLive is a plus to its credibility IMO, its not like the Freep or News are bastions of sports investigative reporting. Or are you a huge Oakland Press fan?

Everything I understand is Killer is an "insider" based on Millen's regime bringing him in in order to have a mouthpiece. Might as well have Tom Lewand write. This has been going on for years. Same thing the huge black guy from KC used to do until he got a spine, wrote one negaitve piece, and was cast out by the team. Now all he writes is Chiefs slander.

No idea what the OP reference is, never read it. Is it tabloid?

Bly is a nickel CB and that's about it.

I wouldn't go that far. [smilie=arrgh.jpg] Personally I think he's a top 10-15 CB.

Was Joey eating strawberries and drinking champagne during his tirade?

Killer's hardly a plant. He's pissed off management and been cold shouldered by the Lions plenty. And it being on MLive is a plus to its credibility IMO, its not like the Freep or News are bastions of sports investigative reporting. Or are you a huge Oakland Press fan?

Everything I understand is Killer is an "insider" based on Millen's regime bringing him in in order to have a mouthpiece. Might as well have Tom Lewand write. This has been going on for years. Same thing the huge black guy from KC used to do until he got a spine, wrote one negaitve piece, and was cast out by the team. Now all he writes is Chiefs slander.

No idea what the OP reference is, never read it. Is it tabloid?

I don't doubt that the Lions feed Killer, but I don't think he's a pass through either. I think its always a safe play to take unnamed sources with a grain of salt and its not like Detroit teams/media are unfamiliar with trashing a guy about to leave town (and we, as a sports town, do seem to eat that shit up). Either way bashing Taymelo is usually a safe play.

As for the OP: http://www.theoaklandpress.com
I'd love to call it the paper that even the guys that the News and Freep think are hacks get jobs, but thats giving those papers (and a many of their sports writers) too much credit. Instead I'll just say that Pat Caputo and Dana Gauruder write for it.

Killer's hardly a plant. He's pissed off management and been cold shouldered by the Lions plenty. And it being on MLive is a plus to its credibility IMO, its not like the Freep or News are bastions of sports investigative reporting. Or are you a huge Oakland Press fan?

Everything I understand is Killer is an "insider" based on Millen's regime bringing him in in order to have a mouthpiece. Might as well have Tom Lewand write. This has been going on for years. Same thing the huge black guy from KC used to do until he got a spine, wrote one negaitve piece, and was cast out by the team. Now all he writes is Chiefs slander.

No idea what the OP reference is, never read it. Is it tabloid?

I don't doubt that the Lions feed Killer, but I don't think he's a pass through either. I think its always a safe play to take unnamed sources with a grain of salt and its not like Detroit teams are unfamiliar with trashing a guy about to leave town (and we, as a sports town, do seem to eat that shit up). Either way bashing Taymelo is usually a safe play.

As for the OP: http://www.theoaklandpress.com
I'd love to call it the paper that even the guys that the News and Freep think are hacks get jobs, but thats giving those papers (and a many of their sports writers) too much credit. Instead I'll just say that Pat Caputo writes for it.

Actually as I stretch my legs this morning, the "guys I know who know" are telling me all this stuff is true, though one can quesiton the timing of Killer releasing it now that the Lions have reason to hate on Joey. Its no different than how JoeD uses McClosky and ASB, gives em the bits so they can be the first to break when we deal Dupree, and in exchange they let the organization put out a PR piece of the month with their name.

I've seen OP stuff posted on boardss before, but never ventured out. Being a westsider I know not the joy of Mr. Caputo who I understand knows one sport reasonably well and fluffs 5 others while broaching foolish trade ideas. I will however trade you Bill "huge" Simmonson for him and and intern in a second.

PS- the KC writer was Jason whittlock

Yeah, I figured out the KC writer though adding that he can't write an article without calling someone a racist nowadays would have made it a little too obvious.

I guess I'm in the same boat with "huge" as you are with "the book". I've heard of him and his idiocy (usually racial unless I'm confusing him with someone) but never listened to him myself. I'd do that trade if you consider Doug Karch or Jaimie Samuelson an intern.

Yeah, I figured out the KC writer though adding that he can't write an article without calling someone a racist nowadays would have made it a little too obvious.

I guess I'm in the same boat with "huge" as you are with "the book". I've heard of him and his idiocy (usually racial unless I'm confusing him with someone) but never listened to him myself. I'd do that trade if you consider Doug Karch or Jaimie Samuelson an intern.

Yup, he's the racist who can't go an hour without mentioning how many "black friends" he has. Pick the intern, I'm just gonna have em chase down my loose rebouds.

Don't get the wrong idea about Harrington

There have been a couple of things that have come up in reaction to my story this morning that I think need to be cleared up.

First, is the "I hate everybody and everybody hates me'' quote. Harrington was not speaking literally, obviously, and he wasn't even saying in in a whiny way. He was trying to make his point -- and quite correctly, I think -- that there has been irreparable damage between him and his teammates. There's no connection, no trust, no chemistry. The statement came out in a harsh way because it was a very emotional exchange.

Second, Harrington did not quit on the Lions. His teammates quit on him a long time ago and Harrington was well aware of it -- even if it took Matt Millen a little longer to figure it out. Harrington's disruptive conduct at the quarterback school wasn't done because he was trying to be childish or revengeful. He was doing it because he knew -- again, quite correctly, I think -- that the best thing for both parties was to part company. He did what he felt he had to do to drive home that point.

I don't think his recent conduct is going to stain any future relationships he has with a new team, coaching staff and players. Maybe they'll like him, maybe they won't, but it won't be based on what's happened here in the last two weeks.
http://www.mlive.com/lions/weblog/index.ssf?/mtlogs/mlive_lions/archives/2006_03.html#122284

Bly is a nickel CB and that's about it.

Yep, and he allowed one touchdown on him all year long. Pretty good for a Nickle CB. 2004 I beleve Tory James had like 5 TD's on him. But all those ints made him look great. 2005 he was shown to be the fraud he really is.

And as someone who watched DeAngelo Hall and Bly play every game.
Bly was clearly better, and D-hall made a probowl.


People who blast Bly because what he said about Joey (and that shit was right), that's fine. I get that you don't like the guy because he was trying to save this miserable franchise and send the message to a GM that didn't get it.

But to blast his play is just ignorant to what a great player looks like.
That doesn't come as any surprise because these are normally the same people who defend Joey. They often display they don't have any idea what a great player looks like.

Bly is a nickel CB and that's about it.
wow he's bitch made but nickel at best is getting silly. Being a fakeass bitch doesnt make you a bad player. the guy is probally one of the top 5 corners 5ft 10in or shorter. i give him props on his game. just not his mouth and off the field thinking skills.

Harrington sabatoged Lions 'QB school'
Friday, March 17, 2006
By Tom Kowalski
Joey Harrington is going, going -- but not gone yet.

The Detroit Lions quarterback won't be back with the team next year, but he might stay on the roster for a while. The Lions will try to salvage something out of the situation and attempt to trade Harrington -- and they might be willing to wait for the right deal.

Harrington's fate in Detroit was sealed Thursday when the Lions signed free-agent quarterback Josh McCown (Arizona Cardinals) to a two-year deal, just two days after signing free agent Jon Kitna (Cincinnati Bengals). McCown and Kitna will compete in training camp for the starting quarterback job.

Those signings squeezed Harrington out of the Lions' future plans, but Harrington played a big role in punching his own bus ticket out of town.

Harrington was so adamant about leaving the Lions that several people close to the situation believe he sabotaged his appearance at last week's "quarterback school" with new offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

During the classroom sessions, when asked to go to the board and break down plays, Harrington put forth little effort. When asked to either open his playbook or to take notes, Harrington either refused or was extremely slow to do so. He was lethargic and uncooperative. According to sources, it was quickly apparent to Martz that Harrington had no desire to be there.

After Martz and Harrington had words, Harrington went into a meeting with Lions officials and told them he didn't want to play for Detroit any longer. Harrington was so determined to leave the team that, according to sources, he said he'd be willing to restructure his contract in any way that would quicken his release.

Harrington's desire to leave the Lions was sparked not by the management or the new coaching staff, but the entire negative environment that surrounded him, including fans, media and his own teammates. According to sources, Harrington told team officials during an emotional exchange that "I hate everybody on this team and everybody hates me."

Good for him.

Tell it like it is, Joey.

If I were him, I'd open up to the media, and bury anyone and everyone on that team that I could. I'd talk about who is cheating on their wives, who takes steroids, who does drugs, who is an alcoholic, etc.

I'd fucking trash and burn the organization that treated him so fucking shitty and may have destroyed his career.

Yeah that would be a great plan. Bury all your former teammates in which case no future teammate will ever be able to trust you or look you in the eye. He will never find another job in this league if he ever did that.

[quote]According to sources, Harrington told team officials during an emotional exchange that "I hate everybody on this team and everybody hates me."

Yeah that would be a great plan. Bury all your former teammates in which case no future teammate will ever be able to trust you or look you in the eye. He will never find another job in this league if he ever did that.

Revenge is a dish best served cold, according to C. Montgomery Burns (I have no idea why I posted that).

Quotes from Joey Harrington's interview with Mitch Albom.

QUESTION: Do you feel as if a weight has been lifted?

ANSWER: Yeah I do. ... But I think every player dreams of having a great career wherever he was drafted, so there's still a big part of me that wishes it would have worked out in Detroit.

Q: But do you feel the situation in Detroit was beyond repair?

A: (Laughs.) I felt that a while ago.

Q: When Dre' Bly publicly criticized you last season, it seemed to be a turning point. How did you feel when that happened?

A: I felt betrayed. I felt absolutely and completely betrayed. I had done nothing but work for that team. Yeah, I didn't play well all the time, but nobody on that team did. ... I think the thing that hurt the most was that nobody stood up for me. Nobody. Not publicly. Not privately. There were some people after the fact -- a couple days removed, a week removed -- who said something, very few, but none at the moment when it really would have counted.

Q: Were you angry?

A: Of course I was angry. I wanted to say, "Why the hell didn't you come up and say something to me before? If this was truly a moment of frustration, then bite your tongue and sleep on it. But if this is what you feel, then be a man and tell me."

Q: Why didn't you say that to his face?

A: Because I didn't want to create another Terrell Owens situation. I didn't want to create a media circus. I did everything I could to try and take the high road.

Q: Any regrets about that?

A: No. I can walk out with my dignity intact. I acted true to who I am.

Q: Did the locker room change after that?

A: I think people tried to forget it. ... At last that's how I people acted towards me.

Q: But was it still an elephant in the room?

A: Oh, yeah


Q: What did you think when they hired Steve Mariucci?

A: His reputation preceded him, that's for certain.

Q: What was that reputation?

A: That he was a winner. That he was a master of the West Coast offense. He definitely had an air about him when he came in -- an air of confidence. But it's funny. I especially remember when he first addressed the team. I thought to myself, "My God, this guy sounds just like Marty Mornhinweg."

Q: How so?

A: His mannerisms, his phrases. I think a lot of the West Coast offense guys who worked together sound that way.

Q: What was your relationship like at the start?

A: Good. Nice. He never said a cross word to my face.

Q: Would you have gone through a wall for him back then?

A: Yeah. I'd like to think I would have.

Q: And by the end?

A: No, by the end, that wasn't the case.

Q: What changed?

A: (Long pause.) I don't feel like he helped take the team in a different direction. ... I think he was very comfortable with the way he did things, which is the way things had been done -- the schedule, how practice ran, the attitudes around the facility. I don't think things changed a whole lot.

Q: Was there a time that he stopped believing in you as a starting quarterback?

A: After my third year.

Q: How could you tell?

A: (Laughs.) Well, it's not like the walls are quiet. You pretty much know what going on in the building. I wasn't a dummy. I knew that people wanted to replace me. I knew there were a lot of people on that coaching staff that didn't want me to be playing.

Q: Did that hurt?

A: Yeah, it hurt. It did. I think what hurt the most was that, yeah, I didn't always play well, but Coach Mariucci turned away from me when there were a lot of other things that we could have addressed.

Q: What one thing did he do that bothered you the most?

A: (Long pause.) He made it OK to be mediocre.

Q: Elaborate.

A: I don't know that I want to elaborate. He let things slide. He let losing attitudes slide, rather than change them.



Read more here (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060514/SPORTS01/605140623/1082).

A: Of course I was angry. I wanted to say, "Why the hell didn't you come up and say something to me before? If this was truly a moment of frustration, then bite your tongue and sleep on it. But if this is what you feel, then be a man and tell me."
yep that would have me ready to leave too. no offense to bly or the lions. but they both pushed this IMO. if bly doesnt blast him w/o any discipline laid on him. then the scenario plays out better. but honestly. if i got treated like he did i'd be a lil' more bitter about it myself. he's a cooler guy than me. i'd roast bly like crazy.

Q: Did you think Jeff should have been made the starter when he was?

A: No, I don't think Jeff should have played when he did. But at that point, I had been around long enough to know other factors contributed to it.

Q: What factors?

A: Momentum -- mine going down because of losing for three years ... his rising because of his relationship with the coach and being the backup, which fans always want.
worst habit in the nfl. especially out here.

but to be fair i think he had some scott mitchell syndrome too. :)


Q: Did you let other people's opinions of you count too much in Detroit?

A: Oh, yeah. I was green. I was a sponge when I came in. ... If I felt like I was disappointing somebody, I felt bad. I just wanted to make people happy. I wanted to bring Detroit a winner. I wanted the fans of Detroit to experience something they had not experienced in 50 years. My whole life working hard had made it happen. If I hit a bump, I just worked harder. But for some reason, in Detroit, for the first time, that didn't work.

what is it with the lions fans breaking down the psyche of qb's. you guys destroy careers. yikes

what a fucking crybaby

what a fucking crybaby
you guys destroy qb's. and your track record is still intact. :cool:

the work you guys put on scott mitchell will forever live in infamy. :)

what a fucking crybaby
you guys destroy qb's. and your track record is still intact. :cool:



Thats like saying you destroy a good shit by flushing it.

what a fucking crybaby
you guys destroy qb's. and your track record is still intact. :cool:



Thats like saying you destroy a good shit by flushing it.
ah, touche:p ...good response. :D

Part 2 of his interview


QUESTION: Was there a moment when you felt that Coach Mariucci had lost confidence in you?

ANSWER: There was an incident. It was about halfway through my third season. I went into his office to talk with him. I said, "Coach, I need you to give me permission to throw the ball downfield. To take some shots downfield. I feel like I can't." He said, "I don't know where you're getting that idea." I said, "You tell me every day if there's any chance of a mistake, pull it back, check down. I feel roped in. Let me take some chances." He stood up, went to his sink and started brushing his teeth. He said, "I've got to go do some interviews. If you want to talk about this, come back later."

And then he walked out.

I look back on that now and it seems like such a defining moment. But at the time, I was so focused on making him happy, on getting in his good graces, I just let it go.


Q: Let's talk about your receivers in Detroit. Did you feel let down by them at all -- particularly Charles Rogers and his problems?

A: (Long pause.) I don't feel the need to single anybody out. I would see myself no different than Dré Bly and what he did if I came out and said what I think Charles needs to do. I will only say that I don't care who you are or what position you play, you have to be into being part of the team. You have to buy into the idea of sacrificing things that you personally may find valuable or important.

Q: How about Roy Williams?

A: I will miss throwing the ball to him. I always appreciated that he showed support for me; I really did. And I think he can be a very special player in this league.


Q: After Dré Bly made his critical comments about you, didn't you ever bump into him?

A: Yeah. I acted like I did every other moment I've been in the same room with him. Just normal.

Q: Did he ever apologize?

A: About a month or so later. We were in Green Bay, I think, before the game, in the hotel. We were standing in a group waiting for an elevator. He pulled me aside. He said his comments were from frustration. I asked him why he didn't say them to my face. He said he was in the moment, and it was an emotional moment. He said he respected how I handled the whole thing. We shook hands.

Q: Were you satisfied?

A: I didn't need to be satisfied. ... I don't know that I really felt much differently afterwards.


Q: What happened at the "Quarterback School," which turned out to be your last official time with the Lions? There were rumors that you were uncooperative.

A: Well, I was uncomfortable when I came back. Did I sabotage Quarterback School? No, I didn't. But I was uncomfortable, because I felt that people were just trying to sweep under the rug what had happened the last four years.

Q: What made you uncomfortable?

A: Being back in that environment, walking back in through those doors into a building where I felt people had turned their back on me -- and then to have people pretend it never happened. They acted like "you have a fresh start with us," but there are 50 other guys in the locker room who saw what happened. It wasn't just about having a new start with the coaches.

I was probably visibly uncomfortable, which (Coach Marinelli and I) ended up talking about. But I took notes. I studied. People might have come up and said, "Are you OK?" I probably wasn't as talkative as usual.

But I didn't have any cross words with Coach (Mike) Martz. Not at all. I wanted to listen. A lot of the stuff was difficult for me because it was so completely opposite of what I'd been coached, the drop, the ball carriage, the release point.

Q: You said you spoke with Coach Marinelli about all this.

A: We spoke. I was honest with him. It was one of the best talks I've ever had with a coach. I told him how I felt. I told him the things that had happened when I had been here. I told him I felt that people had turned their back on me. However, at the same time -- I want to emphasize this -- at no time did I ever tell him, "Coach, I want to leave."

My exact words to him were: "If you want me to be your quarterback, I'm here for you."

Q: And what did he say?

A: He told me exactly what he was thinking. He said you signed a contract with the Detroit Lions and I said, "Yes, I did, and I will work to get though these issues." And I went home after Quarterback School and he called me before my overseas trip that I had planned for six months and he said, "You know, I've been thinking about our talk and I need to decide if you're the right quarterback for this team at this time."

I told him, "Coach, if you want me to be your quarterback, then I'll get on a plane and I'll cut my trip short and I'll be there for report date, but I'd like you to let me know."

Q: Did he let you know?

A: They let me know when they signed two other guys.


Q: In your heart, did you really want it to work out?

A: Part of me did, part of me didn't. That's natural. What person is going to 100% want to walk back into a situation where they've been booed out of a home stadium, where they've lost four years, where some people on the team have openly, publicly and nationally blamed things on you?

I was upset when it happened, I was, but I knew there was gonna be a chance to get a fresh start somewhere. I wasn't gonna let it ruin me.

And the next days, when we went to Thailand, I felt a sense of freedom.


Q: Will you think of Detroit fondly?

A: Yeah, I will, I will. It was my first opportunity in the NFL. There were people who taught me a lot of very important lessons here. But it was the most frustrating football experience I've ever had.

Q: Any last things to say to the people of Detroit?

A: Don't stop being fans. Don't stop caring. I really do believe that things will turn around with Coach Marinelli, I really do. And when they do, that city is gonna go crazy. That city will go absolutely crazy.
Read the full interview here (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060515/SPORTS01/605150362/1048/SPORTS).

Q: What did you think when they hired Steve Mariucci?

A: His reputation preceded him, that's for certain.

Q: What was that reputation?

A: That he was a winner. That he was a master of the West Coast offense. He definitely had an air about him when he came in -- an air of confidence. But it's funny. I especially remember when he first addressed the team. I thought to myself, "My God, this guy sounds just like Marty Mornhinweg."

BAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

That is fucking hilarious.