| 01 September 2009
With today's news about Drew Stanton heading to see the star surgeon to the athletes, Dr. James Andrews (News I first caught first thanks to Detroit News' John Niyo posting on Twitter. His @JohnNiyo Twitter feed is a must follow for Lions fans) , and finding out his left knee needs to scoped due to a torn meniscus, Stanton finds himself injured again.
This is how most Lions fans would recognize Stanton,
writhing on the ground with an injury...
Sparty's finest had all but locked up a spot on the 53 man roster as the number 3 QB after impressing everyone, including fans, media and even the skeptical Lions' brass, with his play during the exhibition season. Unfortunately, Stanton finds himself on the shelf, though the Lions are NOT placing him on IR. For the time being, to get the team through the final exhibition game, Detroit signed veteran journeyman Brooks Bollinger (Owner of a journeyman-like career 74.6 QB rating) to play in place of the oft injured Stanton.
Has then been a more star crossed Detroit Lions QB in recent memory than Stanton? The kid just can't catch a break.
Stanton was unlucky enough to be drafted at the end of Matt Millen's Reign of Error, leaving him forever stained by association with the worst general manger in pro sports history.
Stanton was then run through the wringer by then offensive coordinator, well known head case, and legend in his own mind, Mike Martz, who wanted to change every aspect of his delivery. Stanton was also left in the lurch by Martz's bizarre infatuation with QB's like Jon "Turnover Machine" Kitna and J.T. O'Suck O'Sullivan.
Stanton showed flashes of talent early on as a rookie, but injured his right knee towards the end of the '07 exhibition season. The injury was serious enough to cause Stanton to miss the first 4 games of the regular season, but he would have been fine for the remaining 12 games. For a reason that never made any sense, football or common (As often happened during the Millen years), Stanton was moronically placed on the IR, needlessly ending his season, essentially making him a rookie all over again in '08.
In '08, Stanton once again showed flashes of talent during exhibition games. But the injury bug bit the star crossed Sparty again, as Stanton sprained his arm during a game, ending his exhibition season. Stanton gradually worked his way back, becoming the backup behind the immortal Dan "I thought the end zone was 11 yards deep" Orlovsky when Kitna was dumped on the IR to shut up his bitching about the Lions' useless, punchless, Martz-less offense. Then Daunte Culpepper was signed...
Now we have the '09 exhibition season, with Stanton performing very well whenever he was sent onto the field, usually against players who will be in the unemployment line on September 13th, instead of playing in the NFL. As well as he played, Stanton was never given a shot to be anything more than the 3rd string QB, thanks to Matthew Stafford's 1st overall draft status, and the new offensive coordinator, Scott Linehan, having a long past history with the incumbent veteran, Culpepper.
The Lions would be doing Stanton a solid by giving him an injury settlement, and allowing him to sign at another NFL outpost far, far away from Detroit. Too bad for Stanton the Lions apparently have other ideas, and are keeping him on the active roster. Jim Schwartz and company know they have 2010's backup QB on their hands in Stanton, as Culpepper will likely be heading to greener pastures, pastures without a 1st overall draft pick waiting in the wings.
At this point, Stanton has to wondering what he did to piss off the football Gods. First Millen, then Martz, then injury after injury, then Culpepper and Stafford, and to just rub it in, another injury! Let's not forget this is all happening while playing for the worst run franchise in sports.
Drew Stanton can't win for losing while wearing the Honolulu blue and silver.
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