Answering some of your Lions emails!

Hondo answers your Lions email!
Â
First let me say that I am humbled that so many of you took the time to email to me your questions about the Lions. It confirms what I already believed. The Lions are the supreme franchise in the State and when they right the ship, it will be the biggest story in sports. I see that light at the end of the tunnel folks so be encouraged. Here we go, your letters and my answers. I have selected basically no repeats and I have tried to spread the writers out from all over.  Please assume that all of them start with greetings to me so as to not have you read fifty times hello Hondo.  Here we go:

Â
Do you think that the Lions will make the playoffs? Tim-Liberty

No, and here is why. That is a huge step. Look at the Chiefs, they won 10 games and didn’t make it. I think they win 9.

Â
I watched the show with Millen and I must admit that you showed a side of him that I had not seen. Thanks Hondo, I have had seasons for a long time and seeing him made me feel like it is o.k. Paul-Okemos

Matt Millen is a great person and I for one support him. Let me say that I am not only a news director but also a season ticket holder of some very expensive seats. I also am a life long Lions fan. If anyone had a reason not to like this it would be me. I am a person who knows football and I like what Matt is doing. I like the staff and I certainly like most of the players. It takes time to learn how to win. I would say to any journalist who rips Matt: how many Super Bowls have you wonn? Exactly. Keep the faith brother.

Â
Is Mike Williams out? Chris-Potterville

He could be. I think it will be difficult for him and Chuck to make the team. I asked one of his teammates to assess his progress and he thinks it has been favorable so we shall see. Chris no one knows. The media feeds itself on trying to sound more important then we are. I don’t post things that I don’t know and I can assure you of one thing: If Sarge don’t know if Mike is on this team, then no one knows.

Â
Will C Rog fight his way back? Pat-Ashley

Hi Pat, he has so much talent but he has to make the choice to put it all together. I like Charles; I hate some of Charles choices. I for one don’t care about his playing football I hope he gets well. If he is motivated and playing on all cylinders then he could. If he does not make this team, blame only C Rog.

Â
Do you really think Kevin Jones is the answer? Tim-Wacousta

Yes. Kevin is so talented but most of all he is a fine young man. I talk to him every time I go to the Lions and even after tough games and even after the old staff ignored him, he has never been less then a gentleman. The bad rap you hear from people on Kevin is in my opinion because he does not trust many people. I have had him tell me on camera stuff, and when I walk away and others come he does not say much. I take that as Kevin trusts me to tell the story. I not only personally like him, I respect him and I think he appreciates that.

Â
Is Orlovsky ever going to get a shot in Detroit? Yeldon-Lansing

Yes, I think he will but here is the issue. Kitna is a fine QB and McCown is also. It will be a numbers game. I will tell you this that Orlovsky has moved ahead of Josh in the minds of the players. They like all three but Orlovsky has played and played well. I also know that Martz likes his hard work approach. Dan is a great kid and I love the idea of him being the QB of the future.

Â
I am not sold on Martz, he is a genius but he will be gone next season and we lose. Scott-Grand Ledge

Only a fool would think that he does not want to head coach again. Only a fool however would think that he is instantly going to go. I talked with 3 people who played for him in St. Louis my friend and what you hear is not what is accurate. That organization did all they could to paint him in a bad light. If anything Martz has shown great restraint and character not hitting those people back. My thoughts however are that he won’t take all his staff and with what he will instill before he leaves (whenever that will be) will be a blessing. I have practiced in my business life what I am glad to see Sarge doing: hire the best people and don’t sweat the small stuff.

Â
I love the nicknamed you gave Sarge. Does he like it? Jerry-Owosso

I am sure that Sarge has no idea. I did a lot of talking to players and they love him. I am talking back in Tampa. He is a no nonsense kind of man and I frankly admire it. It is meant as a term on endearment and he is EXACTLY what the Lions needed. Matt did a great job with this hire. He showed the fact of how well he has matured in this job with that hire.Â

Â
What is Sarge like as a person H? Rich-Dewitt

I am not going to pretend that we have spent huge amounts of time together because we have not. I do think that I have spent enough time with him and talked to people that I respect who know him to say this. He is a solid man. A mans man. A yes means yes and a no means no, and that is all I can ask. Let me tell you a story that tells you all you need to know. A reporter I will not name once asked him in front of me to go “off the record” which means we agree not to report it. He said right back: “I don’t do off the record.” I loved it. I walked away laughing. With the crap that this organization has endured unfairly I loved it. Let me say this. The Lions are the most patient and helpful pro team in Detroit. I know that the others will read that but it is true. Sarge is a great guy and a very good football coach. GREAT players don’t say that if it isn’t true. As far as the Lions organization, from Hawanya at the front desk to all the P.R. people, trainers, coaches all of them are without a doubt top flight quality people!

Â
I loved the Cody interview. You called it on Wilkinson and had the vision to interview Cody before it all went down. Props Hondo. Bob-Haslett

Thanks Bob. Like I said in the interview and you heard Shaun agree to. I walked up to him on his first day as a Lion and told him that I wanted this organization to draft him and welcomed him. I have always got along with him. I hate lazy players (that is why I struggle with Chuck and Mike and some others) and he is anything but that. The Lions coaches were going to start him over Daddy anyways and I do not care what anyone says that is a fact. He is fast, nimble and most of all he is smart. Shaun Cody is an All American young man and a classic example of what we want in D-town.

Â
The Raiola interview rocked Hondo. I am glad that you take the time to really let us “meet” the players and see what they are about. I was not a huge Raiola fan, but I got his jersey from the Roar and more after the show. Keep up the real Lions insider work. Carlton-Lansing

Thanks Carlton. Dom is a good guy. He gets hot headed and I think that hurts him some times but I LOVE his passion for football. Us big guys don’t make RB or QB or even WR money, we play for the love of the game. Dom has that.Â

Â
O.K. T. Holt or D. Bullocks? Tracy-Hillsdale

WOW that is a good one. First I think that every position should be open all the time. Let people earn it. Second, in this case if all things are equal then I say let the younger guy get the reps. With all the time T. Holt has got, if Bullocks can tie him with no NFL experience then he has got to get the nod. That is partially why he is ahead of Holt on the coached depth chart. I am unsure of where he will appear on paper, but the coaches have him as their starter and he will be.

Â
I know you liked the pick of Ernie Sims do you like him? Dave-Mason

Ernie is a football player. I very much like how he practices and plays. Ernie the person I will refrain from any opinion. I know people who I respect that off the field think he is all right and I know others that STRONGLY don’t like him. That said he has given me no reason to doubt him as a man so I go on what I know. The point is he was not brought in to teach Sunday School he was brought in to win.

Â
Are you sold on Boss and Teddy? Andrew- Howell

I am sold on the fact that they are fast and very good football players. I am also sold on the fact that they have to stay healthy or they are worthless to us. If they are healthy our LB unit will be among the best in the NFL.

Â
What do you think how Donnie Henderson? Fred-Nashville

I love that guy. The guys I know who play on the Jets love him, he loves football as do I and he is a great guy. Like Martz, of the people that I know who know him, not ONE dislikes him. He is a devoted man and super intelligent. You may remember that he was one of the names I floated that I would have liked to have seen as a head coach. I mean this as NO disrespect to Martz and Sarge, but if I was starting a team tomorrow I send my GM and a plane to Detroit and don’t let them come home without him. He is a genius. Here is a funny story. When he was in NY, some of the office staff used to complain because he was so intense. Everybody always laughed because losing killed him. I love that. After a Lions loss, I hurt for days and I don’t play. I can’t help it. He is the same way. That guy is awesome. I am telling you all that I again no disrespect to Martz, I love that guy but I am more worried about losing Henderson then Martz.

Â
I just want to say that I cannot believe all the Lions info you give and you are on the money. Thank a lot and on behalf of Lions fans all over thanks for just being fair. That is so valuable to me and I am not ashamed to admit it. You tell the truth but you also look for a silver cloud. When you wrote last season that if Millen was as good of a guy as you thought he was that he would fire Mooch I laughed. Low and behold two weeks latter he was gone. You called it. So many of my friends here in Detroit now read your site every day for all the Lions info. My family lives in your viewing are and they always tape your Lions stuff every night and send it to me once a week. Down here in Detroit many nights they don’t even talk about it and you do every night on the news. Thanks Hondo, we want you in Detroit. Jason-Detroit

Hi Jason you are very kind. There are many great members of the media and I do not consider myself among them. I will tell you this that being a Michigander and a sports lover I do believe that I have my pulse on the mood of the Michigan sports fan and they love the Lions. That is why I cover them.

Â
I love all your Lions coverage but I hate State. Is it hard for you to cover the guys from UM on the Lions? Benny-Okemos

Benny I didn’t know that Lions had any Wolverines on the team? J Not at all they are great guys but I have to give them the business some times. By the way it is 4 months and 7 days until the MSU vs. UM game.

Â
Thanks everyone. I could in no way answer all your email. It humbles me that you watch the TV and read the site. I share your love of the Lions and I to look forward to a return to greatness. If I didn’t answer your email then please keep watching the news on Tuesday’s for viewer mail. Until next time, God Bless.Â

Â
H

Â