Good For Harrington

[H1Man]

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/in...03.html#122284

[BubblesTheLion]

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.

[Black Dynamite]

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.

[Train Wreck]

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.

[Taymelo]

[quote="Train Wreck"]

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).

[H1Man]

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.

[Black Dynamite]

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.

[Black Dynamite]

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

[Glenn]

what a fucking crybaby

[Black Dynamite]

what a fucking crybaby

you guys destroy qb's. and your track record is still intact.

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