Thread: Mooch's style serves vets well.

POSTED 9:26 a.m. EST, December 2, 2005
MOOCH'S STYLE SUITED TO VETERANS
By Mike Florio

Lions CEO Matt Millen became disenchanted with former coach Steve Mariucci because, per ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Mooch's "soft hand" didn't work with this specific group of players.

And Millen actually is right, based on things we've heard from league insiders.

Mooch's style is far better suited to veterans, we're told, because he relies on guys to do their jobs without getting in their faces and/or pulling them around by their face masks (and that tactic was pretty damn effective when used on yours truly once upon a time). So if/when Mariucci decides to step aside from the Edsel Ford Memorial Scholarship and get back into coaching, his best fit will be a team laden with veterans and/or with young players possessing the maturity to figure out what is expected without some guy spitting all over them.

Of course, we still think that Millen should have known this and should have acquired players for Mooch accordingly, and that Millen is responsible (and should be held accountable) for his failure to match players to the head coach.

Moving forward, Millen would be wise (big assumption) to hire a coach to match his players. He needs a guy who'll do the grab-and-yank on someone's mask, or put a shoe square in someone's ass (another tactic that was pretty damn effective when used on yours truly once upon a time).

Instead, our guess is that Millen will merely take whoever he can get with the money that the Fords give him to spend. With possibly 10 or more vacancies to be filled throughout the league, Millen won't quite be operating from a position of strength on this one.

Matt Millen is a ass.

Matt Millen needs Mike Tice (though I hope he is still with us next year).

Mooch's style is perfect for the right set of players. He wouldn't do well with the T.O.'s of the world (which is why it didn't work out with him in San Fran) but with a set of right minded guys, he's very successful.

Millen sucks.Doesn,t know what the hell he is doing.But it really doesnt matter.The lions are the bermuda triangle of the NFL. I remember when Bobby Ross came in here,everyone was saying he was the annointed one.And why not.He took Georgia Tech to a national title (no easy feat).And then took San Diego to the super bowl.Came to Detroit,couldnt do anything and dissapeared!! Same with all of them,doesnt matter who.Mooch is just the latest,perhaps the only difference this time around is everyone now knows they have a GM who sucks to high heaven.The lions are a joke!!