Coach’s Corner: The Lions stink
Editor’s Note: Below are excerpts from a questions and answers column running each Tuesday called “Coach’s Corner.” Sports editor Josh Koehn and former Gavilan football coach Bob Garcia, father of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia, will talk about all things football. A longer version of the discussion will be posted to our sports blog, GarlicSports.com. Check in each Tuesday throughout the football season to read Garcia’s thoughts and feel free to comment or ask a question that can be answered in future articles.
Koehn: Bobby, How you doing?
Garcia: I’m good. I’m in Stamford, Connecticut.
K: Stamford, Connecticut?
G: Yeah, hahaha!
K: What are you doing in Connecticut?
G: I was in New York City for a wedding. It’s been great.
K: Did you see Tampa’s game yesterday.
G: No, I didn’t watch it, but one of the guys at the wedding, while it was taking place, had his Blackberry, or whatever, and it was play-by-play the whole way through.
K: What’d you think when they were throwing 60 times.
G: I said, ‘God, they must not be able to run the ball.’ It was a great victory for Tampa, but you throw 60-something times, well, some good things gotta happen. … And the defense played great. In the end it was a great win.
K: Did you happen to see my Lions get beat down by the Niners?
G: Who?
K: Detroit getting beat by the Niners.
G: Oh God, Detroit? Hey, they must be somewhere in left field. I’m, telling you, that’s a disappointment because them and Cleveland were two teams people thought could come around and possibly challenge for a playoff spot. I tell you, they are struggling.
K: Well, with Matt Millen being the guy that put that team together and having the worst record in the league since 2001, how does he still have a job?
G: Well, because he’s the General Manager. And he must really have a way with words to keep the owner at bay. Otherwise, he would have been gone a long time ago. He should have been gone a long time ago.
K: Is there anyone else in sports worse at their job?
G: No, not right now. Especially the money they spent to bring in all those high-priced ballplayers. And receivers and everything. It just goes to show there is a chemistry that has to be there from the GM all the way down, otherwise you’re not going to have any success. But I have to take my hat off to the 49ers. We always knew they could run the ball and they built up that defense. You just need someone pulling the trigger.
K: (J.T.) O’Sullivan has really done a nice job so far running that offense.
G: He’s doing a great job managing the offense, not turning over the ball, making the throws. The defense is doing a hell of a job and that’s gonna take you far in a ballgame.
K: Well, I had a couple people make fun of me when I got into the office because I’m a Detroit fan. The worst part is, offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who we fired, and O’Sullivan, who we didn’t resign, get to face their old team and kick our butts.
G: They turned the tables on them. And you know what, you can’t believe the satisfaction after the game of Martz and the quarterback. ‘You got rid of me?’ Well, hey, we came back and stuck one in your ear.
G: How did Gilroy do?
K: They won 27-19. They just pulled it out.
G: Well, that doesn’t make any difference. You can win ugly, you can win purdy. As long as it’s a ‘W.’
