12/21/24
March 20, 2006
So long Joey.: The former third pick out of the University of Oregon is moving on without his former team. Joey Harrington, who has undoubtably performed way below expectations, will be free to test the free agent market and leave the Lions behind.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia to football at 06:41 PM - 42 comments
Dallas could use a quarterback of his talents.
posted by irunfromclones at 07:21 PM on March 20, 2006
why not resign and trade for a draft pic? Detroit makes weird decisions
posted by everett at 07:29 PM on March 20, 2006
"My name is wingnut, and I'm a Joey-aholic."
"Hi, wingnut!" *clapping, feet shuffling*
Maybe releasing Joey this soon can get me cleaned up in time for the next "QB that will finally give the Lions stability." I also thought that Harrington was the "answer" to all of our prayers, and like hundreds (ok, maybe a dozen) of other Lions fans, it's time to start over. Time to get on another emotional rollercoaster named either McCown or Kitna. Unless you want to try the Lions' kiddie rides, King or Orlosvsky. So, like the hundreds (or dozens) of other DIEHARD Lions Fans before me and with me, I spit on fate and say, "This is FINALLY our year! We be goin' to da Supa Bowl, baby!"
posted by wingnut4life at 07:33 PM on March 20, 2006
Detroit definately needs a quarterback. Kitna will not be as good as perhaps Brees or Culpepper could have been with the Lions, but he will be a nice mentor to Jay Cutler or VY or Leinart, since they will definately draft one of the 3 (im personally saying Cutler). Those 3 1st round receivers will finally have someone to give them the ball.
posted by zachaweenus at 07:35 PM on March 20, 2006
Mr. Checkdown won't make it with anyone, with the possible exception of the Bears, with his scintillating ability to manufacture a 35-yard field goal drive in 15 plays. Says something about his ability to find someone downfield. And please--don't tell me about the lousy offensive line, that's a given in Detroit. A good quarterback can make something happen when the primary play breaks down. Harrington absolutely sucked when it came to improvising anything except a two-yard dink-dunk pass to a running back. What frosted me the most about him was that he didn't think he was doing that badly. No wonder Dre Bly ripped him when Mariucci was canned.
posted by philly54 at 07:43 PM on March 20, 2006
joey sucked, there's no question about that, but the losing wasn't all his fault. it starts at the top (millen) and he was never given enough talent to win with. Plus, nobody can argue that the Lions offense has loads of potential. really? i think we've been hearing that old song about how many "weapons" they've got for a while now. kevin jones: zero 100 yd rushing games last yr, awful in short yardage situations. charles rogers has never done anything to merit how high he was picked. same for mike williams. roy williams is their only legit WR and he can't stay healthy long enough to make a difference.
posted by ninjavshippo at 08:47 PM on March 20, 2006
im a die hard PACKER fan, but i like the lions.i agree things start at the top and millen sucks.firing mooch wasn't the best decision and joey reminded me of batch.he should have kept mcmahon. fire millen, things will change!!!!!
posted by zepp70 at 09:01 PM on March 20, 2006
ninja, I agree with you that it starts at the top. That m#thaf#cka Millen has got to go! Plus, I do put some of the blame on the "Three Diva's." Charlie Rogers got busted with "medicinal marijuana," all because he can't keep his collarbones in check. I give Mike Williams a free pass for last year, he had to learn how to read! I think that Roy Williams took a couple of games off last year because he was sick of the way things were going, and he had to get the Lions tat removed from his quad, and get this one tattooed on his ass:
posted by wingnut4life at 09:11 PM on March 20, 2006
Bring him to the Bears!! We haven't had a quarterback since McMahon, and he can't be any worse than our saviour Grossman nor the other two I can't even name. Plus, we have a pretty damn good offensive line and some decent receivers, so he'd have no excuse if he couldn't perform.
posted by whatstheuse at 09:38 PM on March 20, 2006
being an old saints fan, i have never seen a team in such disarray then the det lions. they suck and will suck for quite a long time. i saw joey play in chicago last year and he's brutal. can't throw. can't run. what is he actually good for? kyle orten is better then this guy. that statement is a sad commentary for joey.
posted by whodat at 10:06 PM on March 20, 2006
Joey was doomed from the moment they put that billboard of him in Times Square to advertise his Heisman candidacy. 
posted by holden at 10:25 PM on March 20, 2006
Dude, is that pic for real, or a Photoshop? Hilarious!
posted by drumdance at 12:26 AM on March 21, 2006
Joey's gone. Damn I think I just got religion since my prayers have been answered. Joey is not now, never has been and never will be a successful pro-level QB. He is just one in a long line of good college QB's who rose to their level of incompetence. Good bye, good luck and good riddance.
posted by commander cody at 12:49 AM on March 21, 2006
to qote Queen, "And another one gone and another one gone, Another one bites the dust" So long Joey!
posted by jindetroit at 12:54 AM on March 21, 2006
Detroit definately needs a quarterback. Kitna will not be as good as perhaps Brees or Culpepper could have been with the Lions, but he will be a nice mentor to Jay Cutler or VY or Leinart, since they will definately draft one of the 3 (im personally saying Cutler). Those 3 1st round receivers will finally have someone to give them the ball I'm going with Cutler too, but only because Vince and Matt will both be gone by the time the Lions get to draft unless they trade to move up and I can't see that happening.
posted by commander cody at 01:03 AM on March 21, 2006
Joey COULD be the answer somewhere else, as long as the question is not that hard .
posted by wdminott at 02:16 AM on March 21, 2006
Even though Joey didn't pan out well as a quaterback, (and I must say I had my doubts)I still think the L:ions organization gave this guy a raw deal and releasing Joey is not the answer. To me, it starts at the top and we haven't made a move there so I don't see the Lions improving much. Also, what quaterback do you know that can get the job done when they are constantly running for their lives. I feel the offensive line needs an extreme overhaul, but we don't seem to focus much attention to that portion of our game. If you can't block in this league, your not going anywhere. I say, good luck Joey, you will be better off somewhere else!
posted by jacobs-t at 03:53 AM on March 21, 2006
Given the ownership of the organization he played for, and the number of offensive coordinators and head coaches he's been through, I'm not ready to give up on Harrington, but it's going to be tough for him to resurrect his career when he's probably got little or no self-confidence left at all. On the other hand, I'm intrigued by McCown. I think the kid's got a lot of upside...what a shame the Lions will probably destroy him, too.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 05:22 AM on March 21, 2006
Joey COULD be the answer somewhere else, as long as the question is not that hard . /files this away under "Lines to steal".
posted by yerfatma at 05:43 AM on March 21, 2006
the way the lions handled joey harrington, in my opinion, was not the right way to do things. however, having said that, harrington probably won't be anything more than a marginal QB at best. he is just one in a long line of jeff tedford products that have not lived up to expectations. david carr, joey harrington, kyle boller, trent dilfer......these guys were all taught under jeff tedford (currently Cal head coach) at the collegiate level. i hope packer fans don't have there hopes too high on aaron rodgers whenever favre reitres.
posted by ksb122 at 07:51 AM on March 21, 2006
Good bye & good riddance Princess. You just didn't fit into Millen's Wile E Super Genius plan of a quarterback for every receiver, (Kitna-Williams, your pick, McCown-Rodgers, King-that other Williams, Orlovsky-Bradford). The other teams will not have a clue as to wich quarterback will get the ball!!!!!!!! Hardy har har hilarious. While your at it Matt, why don't you rehire Wayne "It's my sisters coke" Fontes, Darryl Rodgers, and Morhningweg so we can have a coach with every QB & WR! It's not just Princess, it's not just Millen, it's not just the owner, Bill Bored. This team is pathetic from top to bottom. Where's a Chris Spielman when your team needs one??? And finally, we have Saints fans saying our team sucks, and we can't even defend ourselves! ARRGGGHHHH!
posted by RedStrike at 08:15 AM on March 21, 2006
If you remember Chuck Long & Andre Ware the LYUNS have a long history of drafting lousy QBS.They have not had a good QB since the 50s.It is a long standing tradition in Detroit to cheer for the guy on the bench.Why should we expect things to change now??????
posted by Ricky G at 09:42 AM on March 21, 2006
Don't forget Scott Mitchell made $30 MILLION off of the Lions in his career! Criminal.
posted by RedStrike at 10:27 AM on March 21, 2006
I think Joey Harrington could be a top quarterback,given the right opportunity with the right team. Detroit was neither.
posted by notaclue at 10:38 AM on March 21, 2006
I would love to see Joey "I Suck" Harrington , Charles "Trouble" Rogers, and Detroits 1st round pick traded. I think they might have a chance to use all 3 to move up. If so I think they have a good chance on getting VY. Titans will take Matt, Jets will go with Culter that leaves Vince for Detroit. The Raiders pick looks to be the spot vince might go but i think fdetroit can work something out with Raiders.
posted by ajpurdue at 10:41 AM on March 21, 2006
Do you even WATCH football? For years, Lions' quarterbacks have been running for their lives behind a perrenially ineffective o-line. Stop blaming your quarterbacks, because that's not the problem. You could put McNabb, Marino, Vick, Montana, ANYONE back there, and they would fail with that piss-poor o-line (who never seems to take any of the blame.) Line of scrimmage control and uppper management's decision making are the biggest problems. Harrington isn't perfect, but he's a good QB. You are focusing on the wrong problem.
posted by trebbers at 10:53 AM on March 21, 2006
Dude, is that pic for real, or a Photoshop? Hilarious! The Times Square sign was real, not a photoshop. See here for another photo. Not sure about the dude flipping the sign off, but he looks real, too. With respect to the Lions' pitiful o-line, perhaps if Martz introduces an offense utilizing short drops for the quarterbacks and quick slants for the receivers as he used in STL, the QB (no matter who) can thrive.
posted by holden at 10:57 AM on March 21, 2006
Yes. I watch 16 games of the Lions a season. Sure the O-Line at times is ineffective. But Joey couldn't read, scramble, or throw at a professional level. Simple. And then he was not man enough to shoulder his share of the blame. As I said before, good bye Princess.
posted by RedStrike at 11:26 AM on March 21, 2006
Here... Here... Here... Here... Good riddance...maybe I can start wearing my Harrington jersey around town again, for the real reason I bought it...
posted by MeatSaber at 11:40 AM on March 21, 2006
First of you can't blame Joey, blame the lions(The Ford family) you can't bake a cake without the correct main ingridients. Second you go from Harrington to Kitna and McCown!?!?....That's awesome 1 mediocare Qb for the price of 2....Maybe the ford family should go to a confrence with the KRAFT or HEINZ family they can teach them a thing or too.....
posted by Grrrlacher at 11:59 AM on March 21, 2006
I used to ride past that sign to & from work every day. I can vouch for it having been very real, and very big. I'm with those who still hold out hope for Harrington turning it around someplace. I wouldn't bet my bottom dollar on it, but I wouldn't be shocked if he gets to respectability in new surroundings.
posted by chicobangs at 12:29 PM on March 21, 2006
joey has potential- plain and simple. unfortuneately he has been surrounded by mediocre coaching, unpredictable o-line, disfunctional upper management, and finally no reliable backfeild or receivers. given the right surroundings, he could very well have a decent shot at being a very good backup somewhere in the league with the possibility of maybe taking over the starting role. everyone can take there cheap shots at him if they want, but he is still possibly one of the better q-b's in the league if only given a chance
posted by canes09 at 01:27 PM on March 21, 2006
I have to ask, what the hell is up with Quarterbacks in Detroit? I was talking about this today and realised that, outside of one good year from Scott Mitchell ('95), I can't remember them doing *anything at all* - even a stupidly unlucky team lands a decent player by accident now and then, right? But in Motor city we have a 25-year line of succession that reads Harrington > Batch > Frerotte > Batch > Mitchell > Krieg > Peete > Kramer > Peete > Gagliano > Hilger > Long > Hipple > Danielson This makes no mention of the likes of Andre Ware who hung around without leading the team in passing in any year. It's also, probably, unfair to laugh at Frank Reich, but I had forgotten all about him until I went trawling through http://www.pro-football-reference.com/ to see exactly what collection of shirt-warmers the Lions have had under center. Is it a never-ending poor offensive line, or criminal coaching or did the team owners punch a gypsy out selling pegs and get a curse for seven generations?
posted by Mr Bismarck at 03:25 PM on March 21, 2006
I thought Greg Landry was damn good. In fact the only good year Mitchell had was when Landry was the Lions QB coach. But other then him nothing since Bobby Layne. I wonder if he'd like to re-join them as QB coach again?
posted by commander cody at 04:36 PM on March 21, 2006
Mr Bismarck I hear you brother I'm a long time bears fan and I can promise our list would max out the bandwith at the site....The last good Qb was mcmachon and your going back to before 1991!!!!
posted by Grrrlacher at 04:45 PM on March 21, 2006
that makes two players drafted in 2002 to be released this year. the bills should give joey a shot come on we cant get much worse, i mean come on who the hell is craig nall. if he becomes our starter i think im going to go crazy. this kid wasnt even brett farves back up in green bay, he was third string. THIRD STRING! i know this is off topic but as a die hard buffalo fan i have to get this off my chest. if he becomes out starter from being third string this team is just something else.
posted by buffalo will never win at 05:05 PM on March 21, 2006
the last time detroit had a real quarterback i was five years old. i am fiftythree now who was their qb then?
posted by Parbreaker at 06:21 PM on March 21, 2006
the last time detroit had a real quarterback i was five years old. i am fiftythree now who was their qb then? Bobby Layne (I'm 50 next birthday), but I still think Greg Landry was pretty good.
posted by commander cody at 07:36 PM on March 21, 2006
guys if i hear joey isn't to blame one more time, i will throw up. i don't care that matt millen sucks. joey is the one that throws into triple coverage. joey is the one that can't throw into the flat. joey is the one that leads his wr too far so they get crushed. if denver can't even turn the career of jake plummer around then joey will suck FOREVER.
posted by whodat at 08:37 PM on March 21, 2006
For everyone drinking the Kool-Aid, I'd like you to take a look at the season Kitna had in 2003 for a very bad Bengals team -- almost 3,600 yards passing, 26 TDs to 15 INTs and an 87 passer rating. Kitna is extremely well-liked by most everyone in the NFL after handling the shafting he got when Cincy drafted Palmer, and if he gets some blocking, he can be a top-notch QB.
posted by wfrazerjr at 10:38 AM on March 22, 2006
I drank the Kool-Aid, as the saying goes "The sun shines on a dog's ass once in a while" I think kitna had his shot when Palmer went down 3 minutes into the 1st quarter and coudn't do anything. He will long live in mediocracy along with 96 % of the rest of the worthless Qb's around the league.
posted by Grrrlacher at 12:37 PM on March 22, 2006
I am a Lions fan since birth and I can admit that when the Lions first drafted Harrington, I had high expectations. Unfortunatly, Joey has never performed to expectations, and he is finally being released after going 18-37 as a starter. I am not sure whether or not the Lions will be able to function with McCown or Kitna, but they both are expirienced and seem to be better than Harrington. Plus, nobody can argue that the Lions offense has loads of potential. I also wonder where Joey will end up. There is obviously a market for quarterbacks (since the Lions signed them all) and I want to see whether a team will sign Joey as a starter or a backup who will have to earn the starting time. Does Joey have potential to be a decent quarterback? I think so. But I am more leaning to the idea that Harrington will become a journeyman quarterback similar to men like Trent Dilfer (minus the ring).