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Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson living up to villainous nickname

By James F. Puzzuoli

Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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ALLEN PARK, MI – FEBRUARY 07: General Manager Bob Quinn of the Detroit Lions speaks at a press conference after introducing Matt Patricia as the Lions new head coach at the Detroit Lions Practice Facility on February 7, 2018 in Allen Park, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ALLEN PARK, MI – FEBRUARY 07: General Manager Bob Quinn of the Detroit Lions speaks at a press conference after introducing Matt Patricia as the Lions new head coach at the Detroit Lions Practice Facility on February 7, 2018 in Allen Park, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

GIVE QUINN A CHANCE

Johnson quit on the eve of free agency in 2016. It was Bob Quinn’s first season as general manager, and the Detroit Lions were trying to find a new direction.

Be a part of that. If you are tired of losing, find a way to help the team win.

Calvin’s best seasons are all when he was paired with quarterback Matthew Stafford. Because of Stafford’s injury riddled first two years in the league, that pairing was only at five years when Calvin retired. There was so much more left on the table for these two as a combo.

I get that things were hard during Johnson’s tenure as a Lion. In his second year (2008), “Megatron” suffered through a zero win season, which had to be horrifying as a player.

After suffering two years under the direction of general manager Matt Millen, Calvin had to endure another seven plus seasons of Millen’s understudy Martin Mayhew.

It was a bad situation. Year after year, the Lions made bad draft picks that didn’t pan out, boneheaded signings in free agency, and questionable hires at head coach (especially under Millen on that last one). It had to be frustrating for Johnson.

But why not give Bob Quinn one year? Why not see if the new captain of the ship is ready to steer the team in the right direction?

WINNING TAKES TIME

Only one team can come out on top. And, with the parity in the NFL, that team can jump from the bottom of the league to a title contender in just a year. The Super Bowl title is, in my opinion, the hardest championship to win of the four major sports (NFL vs. NBA, MLB, NHL):

  • Single game playoff elimination in the NFL (not best of 7’s)
    • Which is great for football, and works really well for NCAA basketball as well
  • Only 12 of 32 teams makes the playoffs in the NFL (37.5% of the teams)
    • In the NBA and NHL, more than 50% of the teams make the playoffs
    • That number has been closer to 70% of the teams in the 1980s

If Calvin still wanted to play, then he should have continued with the Detroit Lions for another year.

No one expected the Philadelphia Eagles to win it all last year. With a back-up quarterback to boot. But they did it because 53 guys came together and played well enough to collect a Lombardi Trophy.

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