Who didn't see this coming?

From Kowalski's Blog:

http://www.mlive.com/lions/weblog/index.ssf?/mtlogs/mlive_lions/archives/2006_05.html#138258


Lions players file grievance against Marinelli

According to sources close to the situation, the Detroit Lions will lose two Organized Team Activities practices during the off-season because they were in violation of minicamp rules. A couple of Lions players filed the grievance against head coach Rod Marinelli because they believed the minicamp practices were too physical.

An official announcement is expected to be made sometime today.

According to sources, the players were upset at the high intensity and aggressiveness demanded in the team drills and believed the coaching staff was going over the line.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement forbids contact work during minicamps. Under Article XXXVI, Section 4 reads: Contact: There will be no contact work (e.g., “live’’ blocking, tackling, pass rushing, bump-and-run) or use of pads (helmets permitted) at minicamps.

According to a Lions player, the team drills were very physical even to the point where, on at least one occasion, an offensive lineman and defensive line lineman got into a scuffle over the heavy contact.

Unlike previous head coaches, Marinelli refused to allow the media to watch any of the team drills, which is where the bulk of the excessive contact allegedly took place. On the first day of minicamp on April 11, Marinelli told the media: “It was the first day and I wanted to give the coaches a chance to be themselves. I want (the players) to understand the tempo. The most important thing was to get things established.’’

Pussies. i'd be mad as fuck if the raiders players whined about some shit like this. Marinelli better break their backs in half this preseason. he's got alot of "bitchmade" to remove from that team.

Also no wonder sapp was happy to see Art Shell working the raiders hard for a day more than the required minicamp. He's used to it from marinelli.

Man everybody knows there is nothing "Hard" about the Detroit Lions.

or is there?.....

http://www.rainbow-living.com/images/lion1.jpg

Well at least things are starting to unravel before the season started this year. Might as well fire Marinelli now and get on to the next head coaching search.

Since when are purses part of the required uniform?

Another perspective?

Chris Spielman called into 1270 and said that if there was contact going on that it was just for the players to say something. Spielman added that running and working out hard is fine but contact and stuff is a little much for May giving all the punishment they will be going through.

Marinelli has a tough job of trying to change the culture but not going over-board in a May mini-camp.

I'll give the players the benefit of the doubt just this once. I hear complaints coming out of the two a days and such then I'll brand them pussies.

At the same time I have no issue with Marnielli pushing the envelope this early.

I wouldn't read too much into this. Two years ago Coughlin has similiar issues with his team in NY, last year though there was no whistle blowing but Joe Gibbs and the Skins got nailed for similar issues. Both of those programs are no worse for ware as a result, in fact many of those players who cried foul either fell in line or packed there bags.

I am not saying that this a sign things are changing for the good or the bad. If I had to guess it was probably guys who have questionable work ethics like Rogers and Williams crying foul because they thought the NFL was supposed to be a country club.

Not that I can equate my limited college football playing experience and highschool days to the NFL but these guys are stupid. In both of my experiences every year we had a person or two who would go to the AD and cry foul, needless to say it only made things worse when conditioning time came. When it comes to practicing and conditioning there is an unlimited depth in which things can always get worse.

Marinelli has a tough job of trying to change the culture but not going over-board in a May mini-camp.
there is no overboard. the giants had a shitty culture too. coughlin was by far going beyond marinelli as he's known to do. you know he didnt back off. and they had positive results from that. i say there really isnt an overboard. you guys need a guy who goes beyond typical discipline severely. especially after hearing some of the lazy shit roy williams was kicking about not having to prove himself.

Man everybody knows there is nothing "Hard" about the Detroit Lions.

or is there?.....

http://www.rainbow-living.com/images/lion1.jpg
sadly enough that shows they got cotton nuts. supersoft.

Marinelli has a tough job of trying to change the culture but not going over-board in a May mini-camp.
there is no overboard. the giants had a shitty culture too. coughlin was by far going beyond marinelli as he's known to do. you know he didnt back off. and they had positive results from that. i say there really isnt an overboard. you guys need a guy who goes beyond typical discipline severely. especially after hearing some of the lazy shit roy williams was kicking about not having to prove himself.

Like I said I have no issue with what Marinelli did. Push the envelope and find out who are the little bitch's who are gonna complain. Cool with me.

I actually thought when I first heard this that Marinelli did this intentionally.

He just might have.

What are the odds the guy that complained is Dre Bly?

"Mooch doesn't work us too hard. I hate Joey. Now we have to earn our money. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!"

Seriously, everyone seems to be overreacting to all of this...

It is probably too early to be busting these guys this hard (Especially if Spielman agrees) and of course somebody out of 60+ players is going to tip off the league.. It doesn't mean that the whole team is the problem. All it takes is one guy to do it.

Regardless, it needed to be done and hopefully we can see the improvement that the Giants did when Coughlin got there.

And for you Raider slappies... Quit acting as if they are in any better shape than the Lions are. They are bitchmade to every extent our boys are.

Unnecessary roughness?

By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
May 7, 2006




DETROIT – The NFL has banned Detroit Lions players from working out Monday and Tuesday at the team's practice facility.

This is major news. Judging by their almost 50 years of futility, who knew the Lions worked out at all, let alone that the franchise had an actual building dedicated to practice?

But it's true. The Lions do have a plush, modern practice facility, where players routinely break a sweat. And not just practicing anything, but practicing actual football plays. Seriously.

In fact, according to a union grievance, since hard-nosed coach Rod Marinelli took over in January, the players have been forced to practice too hard.

The NFL Players Association and the NFL Management Council in a joint statement Friday agreed that the Lions broke rules involving offseason activities and punished the team by prohibiting two days of supervised workouts.

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Booth Newspapers originally reported that players were upset that April minicamp drills – where "contact work or use of pads" is not allowed – were too physical.

"The players were upset at the high intensity and aggressiveness demanded in the team drills and believed the coaching staff was going over the line," Tom Kowalski reported, citing a source.

And so, the players complained, the union and the league agreed and now they get two days off, with pay.

On Thursday, when workouts resume, Marinelli ought to run those Cowardly Lions to Toledo and back. He just needs to make sure no one bumps someone else and cracks a nail.

Union rules for safety are good things for coal miners and construction workers and things of that sort. Workers in those lines of work should file a grievance at the first sign of trouble and they should never, ever be subject to management retribution. There are laws against that type of thing.

But this isn't the Sterling Heights Stamping Plant. This isn't an old Upper Peninsula copper mine.

Having millionaire athletes complain about too-tough workouts for a franchise that has gone a NFL-worst 21-59 over the last five seasons and routinely showed a distinct lack of toughness, competitive fire or football acumen is comical.

Predictable – heck, Detroit's defense hasn't believed in contact in years – but comical.

What kind of abuse could Marinelli possibly have subjected the players? Lifting weights at an asbestos factory? Running sprints in a rickety mine shaft? Listening to recordings of Joey Harrington playing the piano?

No one is saying for sure, but apparently blocking and tackling is now out of the question. What a surprise these guys average four wins a season.

It would be understandable if the NFL came in and punished the Lions for full-contact practices outside of the designated time, because, even for them, it would be a competitive advantage (hold the laughter).

But if the players care about winning, they should want that advantage. Instead they ratted on their own coach, and not out of some sense of fair play.

Detroit general manager Matt Millen was one tough football player – you can never envision him complaining about practice being too rough. His mantra since taking over the team has been to surround himself with people out of that mold. Based on this uprising, his judge of character is worse than his 21 measly wins would have you believe.

Millen tried to correct the franchise's perpetual softness by bringing in Marinelli, the defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who was immediately dubbed "Major Marinelli" for his drill sergeant ways. Fans who were sick of watching the sorriest excuse for a team in the NFL rejoiced at the thought – a modern-day Vince Lombardi to knock around a group whose only recent positives have come on drug tests.

Then Millen vowed this spring to only draft players who were "hungry" to play football. That was a departure from previous selections who just had the munchies, which is an entirely different thing he found out.

Unfortunately, at least one of those vets decided that not only is playing football rather overwhelming, but practicing football is, too. If only George Plimpton could write his book now; he'd be starting at middle linebacker.

Lombardi has to be rolling in his grave, Bear Bryant must be beside himself and Chris Spielman is probably alone in a darkened room, weeping over what has become of his old team.

We're talking about practice?

Not on Monday or Tuesday for the Lions. Expect business to be brisk at area manicure shops.






Fuck this team. I hate them. Go Golts.

I actually thought when I first heard this that Marinelli did this intentionally.

He just might have.

I wish that they had the Lion's practice on TV.

Marinelli is going to put them through the most grueling practice that any of them have ever been through. And just when they think they are done, he is going to make them go through practice again to makeup for the lost time.

By the time he is done with them, I doubt that anybody will dare to speak up again for fear of being killed by their teammates.

Grievance filers unmasked: Marcus Bell, James Hall confirmed
WXYT-AM 1270 Detroit reports the Lions players who filed the grievance are DT Marcus Bell, DT Shaun Rogers, and DE James Hall. They cite NFL sources. James Hall, the Lions' players union representative, may have simply been "the messenger" in filing the grievance to the proper authorities.

MLive.com's Tom Kowalski confirms Marcus Bell and James Hall, but as of now cannot confirm the third party was Shaun Rogers. In fact, in talking to several players, the names of two other players have surfaced.
http://www.mlive.com/weblogs/highlightreel/index.ssf?/mtlogs/mlive_highlightreel/archives/2006_05.html#141803

Funny how all three are DLineman. One would assume that they would respond better to a proven DL coach in Marinelli. Apparently that's not the case with the Lions.

I'm trying to come up with some connection between the fact that Shaun Rogers allegedly had a part in this and the fact that his nickname is "Big Baby".....gimme a sec....

From KFFL
Lions | Hall issues statement on grievance issue
Wed, 17 May 2006 11:23:31 -0700

Detroit Lions NFLPA representative DE James Hall issued the following statement regarding the team's situation with their recent NFL grievance: "Irrespective of what you may have heard or what has been reported, since the arrival of head coach Marinelli and his staff, the player's commitment to his vision for a winning organization has been tangibly demonstrated through extraordinary levels of participation, effort and energy devoted to his offseason program. I have been with this franchise my entire seven-year career and can tell you the level of player participation and dedication to our offseason program has been unprecedented. We look forward, as a team, to continuing to work with coach and his staff to build the kind of championship caliber franchise the city of Detroit and its fans deserve."

Lions | M. Bell and S. Rogers deny being involved in grievance against the team
Wed, 17 May 2006 17:40:36 -0700

Nicholas J. Cotsonika, of the Detroit Free Press, reports Detroit Lions DL Marcus Bell and DL Shaun Rogers denied a report from radio station WXYT-AM (1270) saying they were the Lions' players that filed a grievance against the team. "It ain't true," Rogers said. "But I don't care." "I have got one thing to say," Bell said. "I had nothing to do with it."

From PFT


BELL BLEW THE WHISTLE

Although Lions defensive lineman Marcus Bell denies that he filed the complaint with the NFLPA regarding impermissible contact during minicamps, we've confirmed that Bell is the guy who blew the whistle on new coach Rod Marinelli.

Also, reports that defensive end James Hall and defensive tackle Shaun Rogers joined in the complaint aren't accurate. Hall signed off on the complaint in his capacity as the Lions' union representative. Rogers simply had nothing to do with the complaint.

The identity of the whistleblower is becoming more and more important because there are multiple Lions players who aren't happy about the fact that a complaint was made. At least three members of the team privately have made strong comments regarding the filing of the complaint, and Bell should be far more worried about retaliation from his teammates than from the coaching staff.

We're not suggesting that Bell will be the victim of violence. Instead, we suspect that he'll be ostracized by the the other guys on the roster, and that he'll eventually be begging to be cut.

Our guess is that the front office eventually will oblige.

Bye, Bye, Marcus.

We hardly knew ya.

If I were the Lions' brass, I wouldn't wait for the players to complain, I would cut Marcus Bell immediately.

That's how you send a message.

PS: How freaking DUMB does Marcus Bell have to be to complain? I mean, he's a backup who is lucky to be on an NFL team - hardly the guy I'd peg to make waves and put his spot on the roster in jeopardy. He should know that if Shawn Rogers complains, he won't lose his job, but if Marcus Bell complains, he'll be working the fry-o-later at BK in no time.

If the Lions don't cut this guy, they're dumber than I thought.