Dear lord.....now they whine about to tough of a practice....these guys need to pull their heads out of their asses....

http://www.deadspin.com/sports/detroit-lions/the-detroit-lions-get-a-welldeserved-rest-172062.php

New Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli doesn’t seem to be making a lot of friends among the players. According to this note in the Lions blog at mlive.com, a couple of Lions players filed a grievance against Marinelli because his practices were a little too rough (http://www.mlive.com/lions/weblog/index.ssf?/mtlogs/mlive_lions/archives/2006_05.html#138258).
The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement forbids any contact drills or use of pads at minicamps. This appears to be where the problem lies. One player said that practices were so physical that a couple of linemen got into a “scuffle.”
I know that the NFL has rules, and that it’s very bad to break them. But I think the Detroit Lions players have, given their past performance, abandoned the right to complain about such things. It shouldn’t matter if Rod Marinelli has them engaging in fight-to-the-death kickboxing, they’re the Detroit Lions. Right or wrong, when a team is that bad, and they complain about a coach being too hard on them, just one word comes to mind, and it rhymes with pussy.
Anyway, as a result of their complaining, the league found that the Lions did break some rules, and they have mandated that the Lions forfeit two days of their off-season program (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060506/SPORTS01/605060347/1049). Players won’t have to be at the practice facility Monday or Tuesday, but will get paid anyway. I really think that’s what the Lions need. Paid time off.
Lions players file grievance against Marinelli (http://www.mlive.com/lions/weblog/index.ssf?/mtlogs/mlive_lions/archives/2006_05.html#138258) [mlive.com]
Lions get off days from workouts after complaint (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060506/SPORTS01/605060347/1049) [Detroit Free Press]

Same thing happend with Coughlin and the Giants and they untilatmely bought into it and are doing well now.

-Anxiety

I had the same reaction.

If I was the coach, I would inform the team that the days given off from mandatory workouts would become voluntary. I would then make careful note of the players who attend those two days. At the end of the second day, those players would receive the rest of the week off. So would the entire coaching staff. Then the lazy panzy-ass bitches who want to sit around smoking weed instead of wrying to win football games could do what they do best for an entire week.

Oh, and anyone who would not attend the voluntary workouts would get real used to sitting around. Since that's essentially what they would be doing once the season starts.

I had the same reaction.

If I was the coach, I would inform the team that the days given off from mandatory workouts would become voluntary. I would then make careful note of the players who attend those two days. At the end of the second day, those players would receive the rest of the week off. So would the entire coaching staff. Then the lazy panzy-ass bitches who want to sit around smoking weed instead of wrying to win football games could do what they do best for an entire week.

Oh, and anyone who would not attend the voluntary workouts would get real used to sitting around. Since that's essentially what they would be doing once the season starts.

There's rules on how mahy voluntary workouts you have too, and this couldn;t become that.

-Anxiety

There's rules on how mahy voluntary workouts you have too, and this couldn;t become that.

-Anxiety
Just as long as they don't put a block of wood and an axe in the locker room...

Kids these days...

In the Free Press article it says "The players will not be allowed to report to the team's practice facility Monday and Tuesday, but will be paid for the sessions."

Juding by their record over the last few years it looks like they better practice a little harder.

Hmm, Lions players complain about a team's violation of a newly negotiated CBA? Why have the CBA rule if it isn't going to be followed? I'm actually with the players on this. Marinelli should try following the same rules every team in the league has to follow. It seems NE and Pitt have done pretty well with it. There are other ways to get your point across, like these teams have.

Hmm, Lions players complain about a team's violation of a newly negotiated CBA? Why have the CBA rule if it isn't going to be followed? I'm actually with the players on this. Marinelli should try following the same rules every team in the league has to follow. It seems NE and Pitt have done pretty well with it. There are other ways to get your point across, like these teams have.

Yeah, lets see, has Pitt or NE every had a problem with toughness? No, honestly the Lions have pussified themselves out of the league right now......

They bitch because his practices are to tough, great....what a way to impress upon your fans and your new coach..that you really want to win....

Plainly put, you get out of the season what you put into preparing for it. Jerry Rice is famous for his training routine. Curtis Martin also kicks his own ass in training. If 1/2 of either of their work effort was asked of loafers like Charles Rogers the teams would get in trouble. What is the difference between a player like Charles Rogers and a former player like Jerry Rice? I'm willing to bet that right this minute Jerry Rice could step on to the field and catch a pass. Rogers might not be able to get off the sofa without spilling his Cheetos...

Hmm, Lions players complain about a team's violation of a newly negotiated CBA? Why have the CBA rule if it isn't going to be followed? I'm actually with the players on this. Marinelli should try following the same rules every team in the league has to follow. It seems NE and Pitt have done pretty well with it. There are other ways to get your point across, like these teams have.

I have to agree that the players are right for complaining about the violation of the CBA (like you said, why have the CBA rule if it'll just be ignored), BUT I think even though they had forfeit two days, Marinelli made his point. They are going to work pretty hard to become a tougher ballclub.

I have to agree that the players are right for complaining about the violation of the CBA (like you said, why have the CBA rule if it'll just be ignored), BUT I think even though they had forfeit two days, Marinelli made his point. They are going to work pretty hard to become a tougher ballclub.

Yeah, this is a good point. All I was saying is there are PLENTY of ways to toughen up a team other than violating the CBA.

Rogers might not be able to get off the sofa without spilling his Cheetos...

Pretty good line, I may have to keep that for future use.

Yeah, lets see, has Pitt or NE every had a problem with toughness? No, honestly the Lions have pussified themselves out of the league right now......

They bitch because his practices are to tough, great....what a way to impress upon your fans and your new coach..that you really want to win....

wtf ? Should I make you work 10 times as hard because you're a "pussy" if you don't ? There are rules in place, and the teams agreed to follow them. When the team violates them, the players have every right to complaint.

The Lions...HAHAHA!!!

Smartest person to ever play for the Lions: Joey Harrington.

Lions: "Joey, we want you back next year to play for us under this new coach!"

Harrington: "Stick it, I'm going to play for the Dolphins!"

Lions: "But if you don't come back, restructure your contract even though we treated you like crap and made you play under a Pop Warner coach for the last 3 years, and then let us trade you before your contract deadline expires in June when you can go wherever you want...we won't even get a 6th round draft choice for you!"

Harrington: "Wha...??? See last response and have a nice life!"

Like two extra days of practice would have helped them anyways...

wtf ? Should I make you work 10 times as hard because you're a "pussy" if you don't ? There are rules in place, and the teams agreed to follow them. When the team violates them, the players have every right to complaint.

Especially the Lions players. A little hard work could kill them.

If they had just taken a WR in the first round, none of this would have happened.

If they had just taken a WR in the first round, none of this would have happened.
Why take a 4th WR, when you can start a new trend at LB? Every three years pick a new position, and they will have a superstar line-up in no time :)

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 the grievance.

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.


May 6, MLive.com: According to sources close to the situation, the complaints came from a few players during their April 11-13 voluntary minicamp at the team's workout facility. However, sources say the players were complaining about so many aspects of the workouts that no one is sure exactly what the main beef was.
...
There are two main reasons why the players were unhappy with the coaching staff during minicamp and might have been motivated to file a grievance.

First, the tempo of the workouts was very high and very physical, sources say. The Lions were not wearing pads, but sources say there was a lot of aggressive contact, especially in the run blocking drills. The bargaining agreement reads: "There will be no contact work (e.g. "live" blocking, tackling, pass rushing, bump-and-run) or use of pads (helmets permitted) at minicamps."

Second, some players were miffed when offensive coordinator Mike Martz made some of the offensive players hit the field for an additional practice in the evening. The players met after dinner and, in reviewing the seven-on-seven passing drills from earlier in the day, Martz got upset and ordered the players back on the field..

Heard that on the way into work this morning. Interesting but probably a non-issue.

wtf ? Should I make you work 10 times as hard because you're a "pussy" if you don't ? There are rules in place, and the teams agreed to follow them. When the team violates them, the players have every right to complaint.

Exactly. Beating the fuck out of someone isn't going to make them work harder, it's just going to make them do just enough not to get their ass kicked.

I don't think "knowing" who filed the greivance is going to do much good. In fact, it's only going stir up the controversy once more, which isn't good for the team or the organization. The Lions are a joke enough as it is and now their coaches can't even run a mini-camp, a freaking MINI-CAMP, right. The quicker this thing goes away the better. But it wont.

As for the grievance itself, I don't know. I see both sides of it. I guess it depends on exactly what was going on. It's totally possible that what was going on during the mini-camp was no different than what goes on at other mini-camps all over the league. The problem was that the Lions players aren't quite used to it, got ticked off, and made the grievance. Then again, it's possible that what Marinelli and the others were doing was really above and beyond what is acceptable and they deserved the slap on the wrist.

Pittsburgh, NE, other good teams, etc, place character and work ethic high on their players. That's why they seem to be hard nosed, etc. I don't think Captain Badass Maranelli can just step right in and get the ship righted. He just doesn't have the personel, and until he gets it, it will be pointless. Millen has collected turds, and until you can flush them all, your team just won't go anywhere.

Millen has collected turds, and until you can flush them all, your team just won't go anywhere.
This thread is full of great quotes like this. Gotta bookmark.

Then again, it's possible that what Marinelli and the others were doing was really above and beyond what is acceptable and they deserved the slap on the wrist.

I agree, I'm surprised people think physical contact is part of Detroit Lions football. I'm glad the players union worked that out in their contract with the NFL. :)

I think it is interesting that the players who complained are both two-gap players and Marinelli is primarilly a one-gap DT coach.

I think it is interesting that the players who complained are both two-gap players and Marinelli is primarilly a one-gap DT coach.

Interesting, because they are acting like one-gap players. :)