| 25 June 2010
Ask a member of the Detroit Lions about discipline, and you'll likely get this answer: "Discipline? What's that? A new club in Detroit?"
Jim Schwartz is one pissed off head coach tonight. The man is striving to instill a sense of order and discipline on the ever undisciplined Lions, yet they continue to act like Paul Crewe's prison team on the practice field.
During the final workout until training camp, the Lions spent more time brawling amongst themselves than actually practicing.
There were three fights during the two-minute drills, including the final two skirmishes that happened at the same time. After that, Schwartz called the team together in the middle of the field and let loose for 10 minutes.
The Lions had a fight during an OTA day a couple of weeks ago that helped lead to the league's decision to strip Detroit of two OTA days.
Here's Carlos Monarrez's take at the Freep:
The team was running a 2-minute drill, and coach Jim Schwartz wanted to set up a field-goal attempt when tempers flared. A brawl ensued, with some players leaving the sidelines to join in.
Once players were separated, Schwartz gathered them in the middle of the field and barked at them. He was upset that the scrap endangered players needlessly and infringed on work time.
Players came off of the sidelines to get their fight on? What in the Hell is the matter with these guys? (Save for a lack of talent in many cases, obviously)
Is there anything sillier than helmet and shoulder pad wearing football players fighting? (Other than Marty Mornhinweg riding off on a Harley after stopping practice, nothing.) Schwartz didn't see the humor. To make his point about the lack of discipline even sharper, and to get across his extreme displeasure, Schwartz going to fine every and any one involved in the practice skirmishes.
The Detroit News' Tim Twentyman has Schwartz's post practice quote:
"That is not acceptable what happened. We weren't able to finish a period. It's going to get hot and you're going to get to the end of practice and you are going to have things that come up, but when you can't finish practice and when you have guys entering fights that aren't involved in it, it's unacceptable and they are going to get taxed pretty heavy."
"I had planned it to sort of end on a high note but it's hard to end on a high note after guys were rolling around on the ground," Schwartz said.
"I was tired of it. It's been addressed. It's going to be addressed more and if it happens again, it's going to be addressed in a different way."
Reading between the lines, Schwartz was actually saying, "Don't be so God damn stupid on my God damn time, causing the God damn NFL to get all over my God damn ass! Do it again, and you won't be writing another check. You'll be calling your agent to have him find another team!"
Now THAT is the Jim Schwartz I like to see. Chewing bubble gum and kicking Lions ass (Not so much that of the press) when it's warranted.
And in this case, it was definitely warranted.
After today's cluster, I'm sure Schwartz was left saying the same thing all Lions fans have been saying...training camp can't get here soon enough.
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