Fallout from this weekend's final cuts around the NFL continued on Sunday, as several notable names found new homes.
Showing posts with label Detroit Lions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Detroit Lions. Show all posts
9/05/2010
8/15/2010
16 Belated Points on Steelers-Lions
If you missed the Steelers-Lions game on Saturday night, avoided all television, radio, newspaper, and internet, and talked to nobody about the game since then, here's what you missed:
3/31/2010
STEELERS 2010 PRESEASON SCHEDULE RELEASED
Not that anyone cares, but the NFL announced the Steelers' 2010 preseason schedule today. One of the games will make a small bit of history, and another will put the Steelers on display in front of a national, primetime audience.
3/08/2010
STEELERS FREE AGENCY UPDATE
WR Arnaz Battle has officially been signed by the Steelers. Like earlier signee Will Allen, Battle is a special teams standout - an area I'm glad to see addressed - and will be reunited with his former position coach in San Francisco, Al Everest.
OT Jonathan Scott, a four-year veteran who's spent time with Detroit and Buffalo, reached agreement with the Steelers on a contract today. Again, this is a reunion of a player with a position coach, as the Steelers hired former Buffalo line coach Sean Kugler to the same position this offseason.
LB Larry Foote is meeting today with the Redskins, but apparently is wanted back in Pittsburgh to create depth at the position. The Steelers usually don't welcome back players once they've left, but this could be a rare occurrence of just that happening.
WR Antonio Bryant, the former Pitt standout, is visiting with the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday. The Bengals have been mentioned as possible landing spots for Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall, so it looks like they're going to sign somebody to address their need at the position.
OT Jonathan Scott, a four-year veteran who's spent time with Detroit and Buffalo, reached agreement with the Steelers on a contract today. Again, this is a reunion of a player with a position coach, as the Steelers hired former Buffalo line coach Sean Kugler to the same position this offseason.
LB Larry Foote is meeting today with the Redskins, but apparently is wanted back in Pittsburgh to create depth at the position. The Steelers usually don't welcome back players once they've left, but this could be a rare occurrence of just that happening.
WR Antonio Bryant, the former Pitt standout, is visiting with the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday. The Bengals have been mentioned as possible landing spots for Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall, so it looks like they're going to sign somebody to address their need at the position.
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10/11/2009
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
STEELERS (3-2) 28
LIONS (1-4) 20
LIONS (1-4) 20
ROETHLISBERGER 23/30, 277 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT MENDENHALL 15-77, 1 TD
WARD 7-85, 1 TD
Thoughts on the Steelers' uninspiring 28-20 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday:
1. The NFL is a league of haves and have-nots in 2009. Five teams are undefeated. 10 teams have zero or one win. The rest, including the Steelers, fall somewhere in the middle. As of this writing, they are not a great team. Great teams blow out opponents like the Lions, especially when that opponent is starting a backup QB and is playing without game-changing WR Calvin Johnson for most of the game. The margin between the Super Bowl Champion and the 0-16 Lions should be more than eight points, with the Lions owning a chance to tie on their last possession.
2. For whatever reason, this team is having a very hard time finishing games in 2009. Whether it's a lack of focus, a lack of killer instinct, or strictly an inability to do so, it's still an issue. The 7-0 margin in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game extended the gap to 55-13 in the final period of games this year. And it's the Steelers who are sitting on the "13" side. This is an alarming trend, especially when it's still happening against teams like the Lions.
3. Rashard Mendenhall had 29 carries last week against San Diego, and responded with 165 yards - a 5.7 average. This week, he was averaging a nearly-as-impressive 5.1, yet touched the ball only 15 times. Why, Bruce Arians?
4. Somehow, the Steelers ended up with seven sacks on Sunday. But I was less than impressed with their defense, given the fact that they nearly allowed 300 yards passing to an also-ran like Daunte Culpepper and a cast of castoffs at wide receiver. Dennis Northcutt? Bryant Johnson? It wasn't like they were facing Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. I can only imagine what would've happened if Calvin Johnson was still roaming around in the final quarter.
5. Big Ben aired it out to the tune of a 77% completion rate, 277 yards, and three TDs. Impressive numbers all. But his gift of a pick six to former Geibel Gator William James (nee Peterson) kept the opposition hanging around for the second week in a row. The passing game has to clean that up.
6. Speaking of cleaning things up in the passing game, Limas Sweed met his drop quota earlier in the game, but it was the usually sure-handed Mike Wallace who temporarily crushed the ready-to-burst excitement of Steeler Nation when what would've been a 71-yard TD bounced off his hands. To top it off, he kicked the ball in frustration, resulting in a delay of game penalty. Luckily, Wallace would later redeem himself with a 47-yard TD in the third quarter. These are the roller-coaster rides Mike Tomlin speaks of when talking about rookie wide receivers.
7. As for the rest of the receivers, Hines Ward had another great day, catching all seven balls thrown his way and adding his first score of the season. Ward is on pace for a 106-catch season, which would be only six off his career high of 112 in the pass-happy days of 2002. Heath Miller continued his machine-like output with another five catches, putting him on pace for a career-high 93. And Santonio Holmes, who caught four passes, is on pace for a career-high 74 . Add in Wallace's deep-ball capability, and you can see why this unit is clearly the team's strength at this point in time.
8. Remember last year when the Steelers were holding opponents under 300 yards a week on a regular basis? No one would have believed me then if I would've told you that Detroit, behind Daunte Culpepper and Dennis Northcutt, was on their way to 400 against the 2009 version of the same team.
9. Anyone else amused when the Steelers kept sacking Culpepper in the fourth quarter and Dan Fouts kept emphasizing that the sacks weren't a big deal because they still had the ball?
10. As one could've predicted given the circumstances, there were plenty of Steeler fans in attendance on Sunday, enough to simulate a home-field advantage coming down the stretch. Emailer Chris (who was traveling to the game from Seattle) outlined the perfect storm for a Steeler fan invasion quite well:
11. It's nice to see another solid game from James Harrison, who had as many sacks on Sunday as he did all season. And Lamarr Woodley finally got on the sack scoreboard with 1.5 in rapid succession in the fourth quarter. Woodley doubled his sub-par season tackling totals, with four against the Lions. This is a group that still has some room to improve in 2009.
12. From a Mondesi's House reader in Michigan: "I unfortunately didn't manage to get a picture of this, but I was at the Lions game and their mascot decided to stomp on and later eat a terrible towel during the 2 minute warning. This immediately preceded three consecutive sacks. If there's one thing we can take away from this, it's that YOU DO NOT STOMP ON THE TOWEL!"
2. For whatever reason, this team is having a very hard time finishing games in 2009. Whether it's a lack of focus, a lack of killer instinct, or strictly an inability to do so, it's still an issue. The 7-0 margin in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game extended the gap to 55-13 in the final period of games this year. And it's the Steelers who are sitting on the "13" side. This is an alarming trend, especially when it's still happening against teams like the Lions.
3. Rashard Mendenhall had 29 carries last week against San Diego, and responded with 165 yards - a 5.7 average. This week, he was averaging a nearly-as-impressive 5.1, yet touched the ball only 15 times. Why, Bruce Arians?
4. Somehow, the Steelers ended up with seven sacks on Sunday. But I was less than impressed with their defense, given the fact that they nearly allowed 300 yards passing to an also-ran like Daunte Culpepper and a cast of castoffs at wide receiver. Dennis Northcutt? Bryant Johnson? It wasn't like they were facing Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. I can only imagine what would've happened if Calvin Johnson was still roaming around in the final quarter.
5. Big Ben aired it out to the tune of a 77% completion rate, 277 yards, and three TDs. Impressive numbers all. But his gift of a pick six to former Geibel Gator William James (nee Peterson) kept the opposition hanging around for the second week in a row. The passing game has to clean that up.
6. Speaking of cleaning things up in the passing game, Limas Sweed met his drop quota earlier in the game, but it was the usually sure-handed Mike Wallace who temporarily crushed the ready-to-burst excitement of Steeler Nation when what would've been a 71-yard TD bounced off his hands. To top it off, he kicked the ball in frustration, resulting in a delay of game penalty. Luckily, Wallace would later redeem himself with a 47-yard TD in the third quarter. These are the roller-coaster rides Mike Tomlin speaks of when talking about rookie wide receivers.
7. As for the rest of the receivers, Hines Ward had another great day, catching all seven balls thrown his way and adding his first score of the season. Ward is on pace for a 106-catch season, which would be only six off his career high of 112 in the pass-happy days of 2002. Heath Miller continued his machine-like output with another five catches, putting him on pace for a career-high 93. And Santonio Holmes, who caught four passes, is on pace for a career-high 74 . Add in Wallace's deep-ball capability, and you can see why this unit is clearly the team's strength at this point in time.
8. Remember last year when the Steelers were holding opponents under 300 yards a week on a regular basis? No one would have believed me then if I would've told you that Detroit, behind Daunte Culpepper and Dennis Northcutt, was on their way to 400 against the 2009 version of the same team.
9. Anyone else amused when the Steelers kept sacking Culpepper in the fourth quarter and Dan Fouts kept emphasizing that the sacks weren't a big deal because they still had the ball?
10. As one could've predicted given the circumstances, there were plenty of Steeler fans in attendance on Sunday, enough to simulate a home-field advantage coming down the stretch. Emailer Chris (who was traveling to the game from Seattle) outlined the perfect storm for a Steeler fan invasion quite well:
-You have the team that travels better than any in the country
-That team is also the Super Bowl Champion
-The opponent lost 16 games. In one season.
-5 hour drive from Pittsburgh
-The local economy in Detroit has something like 30% unemployment
11. It's nice to see another solid game from James Harrison, who had as many sacks on Sunday as he did all season. And Lamarr Woodley finally got on the sack scoreboard with 1.5 in rapid succession in the fourth quarter. Woodley doubled his sub-par season tackling totals, with four against the Lions. This is a group that still has some room to improve in 2009.
12. From a Mondesi's House reader in Michigan: "I unfortunately didn't manage to get a picture of this, but I was at the Lions game and their mascot decided to stomp on and later eat a terrible towel during the 2 minute warning. This immediately preceded three consecutive sacks. If there's one thing we can take away from this, it's that YOU DO NOT STOMP ON THE TOWEL!"
14. Next week, the Steelers get the Browns. In case you missed it, the Browns won despite their starting quarterback posting this as a stat line on Sunday:
In other words, if he's picking apart the defense in the fourth quarter, I'm going to be very disappointed.Email: Mondesishouse@gmail.com Twitter: twitter.com/mondesishouse Facebook: Facebook Group
9/13/2009
BEYONCE, WHOOPI, AND LARRY FOOTE
That title sounds like the punchline to a Johnny Carson joke, but there's actually some context for the grouping. During Sunday's Lions-Saints game, announcer Chris Myers had this to say about former Steeler Larry Foote: Going from two Super Bowls in Pittsburgh to the winless Detroit team -- that's like going from dating Beyonce to Whoopi Goldberg." Ouch.
By the way, in this game Drew Brees threw six TDs in a win over a team that hasn't won since Week 16 of 2007, so be fully prepared for proclamations of his greatness throughout the week. Remember: Big Ben = bad, Drew Brees = good.
NFL Announcer Rips Whoopi Goldberg [TMZ]
By the way, in this game Drew Brees threw six TDs in a win over a team that hasn't won since Week 16 of 2007, so be fully prepared for proclamations of his greatness throughout the week. Remember: Big Ben = bad, Drew Brees = good.
NFL Announcer Rips Whoopi Goldberg [TMZ]
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5/06/2009
LARRY FOOTE'S ALREADY A LION
Concluding a series of events in which the former Steeler linebacker asked out of a contract that would pay him nearly $3 million for the defending champions this season, Larry Foote reached a one year deal last night with his hometown, 0-16 Detroit Lions. Terms were not disclosed, and the contract is to be signed today.
I've actually heard criticism of both sides in the deal: the Steelers, for holding all the cards yet damaging their depth at linebacker, and Foote, for not sticking it out one more year despite an expected decrease in playing time. But this is the NFL in 2009, and this is the Steelers we're talking about, which means this is business as usual. The Steelers were still very close to the cap, and this will give them some breathing room. And Foote obviously thought about this prior to this offseason, with whispers about his wishes to play for the Lions popping up even before last season was over. Mike Tomlin undoubtedly weighed the value of having a player who doesn't want to be here in making the decision.
If history is any indication, most Steeler linebackers have limited success after leaving the franchise, with a few exceptions. Time will tell if this was the right move for all involved, but I think the Steelers will be just fine moving forward.
Foote, Lions agree to deal [PG]
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4/28/2009
UPDATED: LARRY FOOTE ON THE WAY OUT
Pro Football Talk is reporting that the Steelers are going to part ways with veteran LB Larry Foote. This should clear the path for 2oo7 first-round pick Lawrence Timmons to earn a starting job.
The deal will save the Steelers $2.885 million towards their currently-strapped 2009 salary cap. The timing, as PFT's Mike Florio muses, is curious, given that the Steelers could've allowed Foote some time on the open market if this would've happened in, say, February. But having recently been through the Gary Russell situation, this certainly wouldn't be the first curiously-timed move of this particular Steeler offseason.
Foote was a colorful character and a big part of the Steeler locker room. A fourth-round pick in 2002 out of Michigan, he won two rings in the Black and Gold. He's started every single game since taking over as a starter in 2004. Last season, he had 63 tackles and 1.5 sacks, the lowest numbers he's put up over the past in his five seasons as a starter.
While it's never easy to see a high-level contributor move on, this is not a total surprise. In fact, it was widely reported last year that a friend of Foote said the linebacker would want to finish his career with the Detroit Lions, being that he's a native of the city. It looks like the opportunity to join Matthew Stafford might be a realistic option at this point. And then again, there's always Arizona...
Sources close to Foote say he wants to continue his career as a starting linebacker where he can play more often and asked the Steelers to accommodate him. After reportedly finding no offers in a trade, sources on the club say they plan to release him sometime after this weekend's minicamp, which Foote will not attend.
Foote’s Departure Clears $2.885 Million In Cap Space [PFT]
Report: Larry Foote wants to finish career with Lions [MLive.com]
Steelers to release linebacker Larry Foote [PG]
Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.
The deal will save the Steelers $2.885 million towards their currently-strapped 2009 salary cap. The timing, as PFT's Mike Florio muses, is curious, given that the Steelers could've allowed Foote some time on the open market if this would've happened in, say, February. But having recently been through the Gary Russell situation, this certainly wouldn't be the first curiously-timed move of this particular Steeler offseason.
Foote was a colorful character and a big part of the Steeler locker room. A fourth-round pick in 2002 out of Michigan, he won two rings in the Black and Gold. He's started every single game since taking over as a starter in 2004. Last season, he had 63 tackles and 1.5 sacks, the lowest numbers he's put up over the past in his five seasons as a starter.
While it's never easy to see a high-level contributor move on, this is not a total surprise. In fact, it was widely reported last year that a friend of Foote said the linebacker would want to finish his career with the Detroit Lions, being that he's a native of the city. It looks like the opportunity to join Matthew Stafford might be a realistic option at this point. And then again, there's always Arizona...
Sources close to Foote say he wants to continue his career as a starting linebacker where he can play more often and asked the Steelers to accommodate him. After reportedly finding no offers in a trade, sources on the club say they plan to release him sometime after this weekend's minicamp, which Foote will not attend.
Foote’s Departure Clears $2.885 Million In Cap Space [PFT]
Report: Larry Foote wants to finish career with Lions [MLive.com]
Steelers to release linebacker Larry Foote [PG]
3/01/2009
FORMER STEELER MISSING AT SEA
Marquis Cooper, a linebacker who had three short stints with the Steelers between 2006 and 2007, was one of four men reported missing this morning off of Florida's Gulf Coast. Cooper, 26, was accompanied by 29-year-old Lions defensive end Corey Smith and two other men, one of which is rumored to possibly be a third NFL player.
Cooper, a 2004 third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Bucs, originally came to the Steelers in October 2006 after his release from the Minnesota Vikings. The Steelers would later release him in December '06, then re-sign him in July 2007 after his release from Seattle. He was released in September 2007 and re-signed a third time in December 2007 following a week-long stay with Jacksonville in-between. He became a free agent for 2008 and signed with Oakland, where he appeared in eight games.
Smith and Cooper, 2004 teammates with the Bucs, were on Cooper's 21-foot vessel that left Clearwater Pass on Saturday morning for a fishing trip and did not return as expected.
More info will be passed along as it becomes available, and until then, let's keep our fingers crossed for the best.
Coast Guard: Former Steelers player Cooper missing at sea [Trib]
Marquis Cooper [Wikipedia]
Marquis Cooper [Steelers.com]
Cooper, a 2004 third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Bucs, originally came to the Steelers in October 2006 after his release from the Minnesota Vikings. The Steelers would later release him in December '06, then re-sign him in July 2007 after his release from Seattle. He was released in September 2007 and re-signed a third time in December 2007 following a week-long stay with Jacksonville in-between. He became a free agent for 2008 and signed with Oakland, where he appeared in eight games.
Smith and Cooper, 2004 teammates with the Bucs, were on Cooper's 21-foot vessel that left Clearwater Pass on Saturday morning for a fishing trip and did not return as expected.
More info will be passed along as it becomes available, and until then, let's keep our fingers crossed for the best.
Coast Guard: Former Steelers player Cooper missing at sea [Trib]
Marquis Cooper [Wikipedia]
Marquis Cooper [Steelers.com]
Send your news, tips, and links to Mondesishouse@gmail.com.
5/19/2008
THE NEWS
Yes, we were all intimidated. [thanks Billyseth]
PENS LINKS:
Molinari: Penguins rout Flyers, punch ticket to Stanley Cup final
Collier: Comforts of home adding up for Malone
Cook: Can't touch Sid The Kid for playoff excellence
Anderson: Friendly Fleury shows some flash in playoffs
PG: Empty Netters recap
Junker: Penalties should carry over
Starkey: Penguins far from satisfied
Rossi: Pens soar over Flyers; Cup final next
Starkey: Penguins far from satisfied
Rossi: Pens soar over Flyers; Cup final next
and in honor of the Pens knocking the Flyers out of the playoffs...
100 Seasons ... 100 Heartbreaks: the 100 worst moments in Philadelphia sports, from SI.
--Are the Pirates allergic to the hallowed ground of .500? They blew yet another shot at it yesterday in a 4-3 loss to the Cubs, who own an 8-1 mark against the Buccos in 2008. Phil Dumatrait sums it up: "I was terrible."
--Bill Simmons is enjoying his "rebellious" status.
--The Big Lead takes a long look at Nate McLouth.
--Governor Rendell chose a Spanish firm to run the PA Turnpike. First Kennywood, now the Turnpike. What's the next PA landmark to go Spanish?
--Sorry guys: Ashlee Simpson is now Ashlee Wentz.
--The Detroit Lions' customer service policy: “F— ‘Em”. Needless to say, they didn't follow the Penguins fan blueprint I mentioned this morning.
--A trailer accident dumped 14 tons of Oreos all over an Illinois highway.
(________) was seen making immediate travel arrangements to Illinois.
insert fat guy here
--Is Gears of War 2 the most violent video game ever?
A LIST OF TODAY'S TOP LISTS
18 Things Grown Men Should Never Have
13 Steps to Make the Workout Experience Less Awkward
8 Child Prodigies So Amazing They'll Ruin Your Day
5 Superhero Movie Scenes They'll Never Let You See
Top 7 Cardinals/Cubs Crossovers
The Top 7 Secrets to Writing a Cracked.com Top 7 List
The 10 Most Terrifying Video Game Enemies of All Time
Nine Coolest Movie Bouncers of all Time
Most Worthless TV Character Additions That Nearly Ruined The Show
5 Vacation Planning Tips (According To Horror Movies)
GOT NEWS? LINKS? ANYTHING?
EMAIL IT TO MONDESISHOUSE@GMAIL.COM
3/17/2008
Know Your Elders: Bobby Layne
It's time for another new regular feature from Mondesi's House: Know Your Elders. With the sports blogosphere being a relatively new phenomenon, I feel that a great percentage of sports history's off-field antics have gone virtually ignored. I want to right that wrong and let you know that no, players in the '20s, '60s, or '80s weren't necessarily altar boys.
First up:
QB Bobby Layne
WHO HE PLAYED FOR:
Highland Park HS in Dallas, where he was a teammate of future Hall of Famer Doak Walker.
The Texas Longhorns. He was a College HOFer and 4-time All-Southwest Conference QB, scoring every point in Texas' 40-27 win in the 1946 Cotton Bowl. He married his UT sweetie, Carol Ann Krueger, and left with school records for completions, attempts, and yards. By all accounts, Layne was your prototype, corn-fed stud QB.
Chicago Bears, 1948. He was chosen 3rd overall in the '48 NFL draft by the Steelers, surely higher than Mel Kiper, Sr. had projected him. He was also chosen 2nd overall in the '48 AAFC draft by the Baltimore Colts. But the Steelers dealt his rights to Chicago, where he was sweet-talked into signing with the Bears by George Halas. Layne turned down $77K worth of Colt Cash in the process.
New York Bulldogs, 1949. After one year as a Bear, he was traded by Halas to New York in a salary dump. Thanks a lot for the loyalty, Papa Bear.
Detroit Lions, 1950-58. Once again, Layne was traded after one year with a team. He was immensely talented, yet kept getting passed around the league. Think of him as Alfonso Soriano 60 years ahead of his time.
In Detroit, Layne was reunited with Doak Walker and led the Lions to three titles during his time there. He also racked up four Pro Bowl appearances and four All-Pro honors. Again, this was all during his time as a LION. Contrary to what you've heard, the Lions did have success before the Matt Millens, Scott Mitchells, and Wayne Fontes of the world came along.
Pittsburgh Steelers, 1958-62. Ahh, now you see where I was going with this. He was a Steeler! Layne was traded to the Stillers in '58 and immediately said that "the Lions would not win for 50 years". So I guess we can all bet on one more year of Lion losing before Jon Kitna hoists the Lombardi Trophy in '09.
During his time in the Steel City, Layne reached two Pro Bowls, in '58 and '59, also getting All-Pro honors again during those years. His Steeler teams declined each year, with records of 7-4-1, 6-5-1, 5-6-1, and 6-8 from 1958-1961, but ended on a high note with a 9-5 mark in '62. Unfortunately, in 1962 the only way to advance to the championship game was to win your conference, and their 9-5 record was three games behind the 12-2 New York Giants.
Layne then retired, saying that the biggest disappointment in his NFL career was not winning a championship for the Steelers and for Art Rooney. Unfortunately, no quarterback pulled off that feat until Terry Bradshaw in 1974. In fact, the first playoff game the Steelers ever won was the Immaculate Reception game in the 1972 playoffs, losing the next week to the 17-0, champagne-sipping Miami Dolphins, 21-17. Yes, only five more points could've shut up Mercury Morris 26 years ago.
LAYNE'S CAREER STATS/HIGHLIGHTS:
--Hall of Fame, 1967
--6-time Pro Bowler
--6-time All-Pro
--1814 completions-3700 attempts (49% completion); 196 TD, 243 INT; 63.4 QB Rating
--Also the primary kicker for his team in '56, '57, '59,'60: 34-50 on field goals (68%) and 120-124 (96%) on PATs
OTHER INTERESTING STUFF:
--As you can see, Layne was the cover boy for Time Magazine, 11/29/54. It'll run you about $25.
--Named "The Toughest Quarterback Who Ever Lived" by Sports Illustrated in 1995
--#52 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players in 1999
--Coached the Steelers' QBs from 1962-1965
--Credited with creating the two-minute offense
MOST EXPENSIVE EBAY ITEM:
1952 Bowman football card graded "SGC 96 Mint", a cool $5,000:
THE JUICY STUFF:
--An unapologetic party animal who died shortly before his 60th birthday, probably as a result of his heavy drinking.
--Famous quote: "If I'd known I was gonna live this long, I'd have taken a lot better care of myself", later used by his Dallas neighbor and fellow alcohol abuser, Mickey Mantle.
--Said he wanted to die by running out of cash and air at the same time.
--Once picked up by his linemen and dunked in a barrel of water in order to wake him up for a game
--Celebrated beating a drunk-driving ticket by throwing a party
--His "curse" inspired a very interesting website, Curseofbobbylane.com
--Prone to blowups with his coach? Sounds like it to me...(from Curse of Bobby Layne):
In his first year with the Lions, a feud erupted between Layne and the late Bo McMillin. McMillin wanted to call the plays from the bench all the time and Bobby refused to work that way. Although this protest threatened his career, Bobby stood strong and said he would quit before playing another season under him. The Detroit management bought out McMillins contract and hired Buddy Parker to coach the Lions. Parker felt that if a quarterback was properly prepared during the week before the game, it should be up to him to use the proper plays. Parker would send in a play only when someone upstairs detected a weakness in a particular defense.
So there you have it. Now you can wow your fellow Steeler friends with knowledge of the other hard-partying Steeler quarterback. This guy would've been a gold mine had I blogged the 1960 Steelers.
Know your elders!
Required reading:
Bobby Layne [Wikipedia]
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