FanPost

Excuses: Tired of the BS (long)

Recently, there has been an eerie trend that creeping throughout POD centering on excuses. I want to add my piece here, and maybe it will help clear away some confusion about the difference between an excuse and a reason, but it's much more likely to just spawn another endless series of mindless comments.

Excuse
Noun: A reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense. Verb: Attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify.
Reason
Noun: a statement presented in justification or explanation of a belief or action. Verb: to form conclusions, judgments, or inferences from facts or premises.

To declare every factual description of a football game or team as an excuse is complete and utter moronic bullshit. No one has said that the Lions are a playoff team this year. No one is saying that we're an 8 win team that's got incredibly unlucky. What I have heard over and over is that we ARE is a rebuilding team that has had questionable call after questionable call go against us (one even cost us a win outright) and tough injury after tough injury happen to our top players. Yes, yes, I understand "it happens to everyone," but to the Lions, moreso. And this season, even more on top of that.

On reasons. To say that the Lions would be playing better if they had their franchise QB is not an excuse, it is a factual explanation of the observations based on the Lions playing with and without Matt Stafford. One need not call for the firing of a head coach based on number of wins, which seem to be in some sense a function of the health of our QB, especially given the exceptional circumstances of this season. Wins are a measure of a franchises success, but they are largely a short-term measure. Wins may satisfy some whiny fans and beat writers (or not), but they do not make a franchise. The Lions are moving in the right direction, anyone with two eyes that hasn't been Lionized as a fan can see it, and I will repeat my prediction of a playoff spot next year (if we win one game in Florida and beat Minnesota). Anyone who wants action on this, let me know.

On excuses. To say that mental mistakes like false start penalties and dropped passes are part of the game IS an attempt to excuse the coaches from doing their job properly. If you want to call for a coach's head for these mistakes (and others of like kind), I may dismiss you, but at least the basis of your argument is solid. And again, people have different opinions, and I respect that, but if we do not start at a common point (the English language), then it'll all just be a big circle jerk.

In conclusion, have a glass of Kool-Aid and "Go Lions!"

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pride Of Detroit or its writers.