We're all in Brad's World
by Eaazeho | 2 years ago | 3 Comments
It's all over, the wait for the monday press conference is over, we've got our answers. In plain terms, this conference has revealed exactly what we were waiting on. Without further delay here are the details from todays early press conference with Calvin Johnson and Brad Holmes.
Start of the conference with Brad Holmes, Followed by Calvin Johnson.
- Brady Holmes, General Manager of the Detroit Lions.
"Welcome everybody, the "pre-free agency/draft conference" is what everyone's calling it right? Well I won't keep you all for long here we just have a few preliminaries to take care of.
First, let me say this so we can get this out of the way, my friend, this teams spirit, and one of the main reasons for our identity going forward, Dan Campbell, the idea that that great man was slighted is ludicrous. And I'm gonna say it, this is a press conference for us, as a team, and that man was and is a part of this team. Man of many words, he said his peace and non of it was a lie, we wish him the best, and he is always welcome back.
Second, this is a work in progress, the void we've had to attempt to fill has been astronomic. Our Interim Coach, Calvin Johnson, has been our bandaid, he is the glue keeping this group together with the rest of our coaching staff. These guys know what bringing Calvin back to Detroit meant. I believe nothing is more important that owning up to your mistakes, and I believe that getting this man in the building was fixing a mistake, and I'll let Calvin say his peace on that.
Third, I'll let Calvin speak on the nature of his own position, but I do have something to concede before I let him take the stand here, and I know you all have been wondering if we were going to have some sort of Jeff Saturday situation. In this time we, as an organization and a team, decided that we needed someone to hold us together in this difficult departure from our heart and soul, Coach Campbell. We brought Calvin in to mend us, to get our heads together and pull through. This man has done more than we could have asked for in the short time we gave him. Before I came here there was always a cloud over this team, and Calvin seemed to be a part of it. We aimed to fix that, there will be no more Bobby Lanes this time around, no sir, we're here to fix the previous mistakes we made.
Now without further introduction, Calvin Johnson."
-Calvin Johnson, Interim Coach of the Detroit Lions.
"Good morning everybody, first off I would gladly say what a honor it has been spending time with this group, these guys, and the whole organization. These some dawgs here, this is a group of dawgs. I know a lot of the pain that comes with this team, the coaching changes, and the mistakes by many a general manager. I think I do right? (Calvin laughs)
Well safe to say when I got this call I was not interested at first, the problems that have come between me and the Lions caused me to retire, you all know that. I'm not here to collect, I'm not here to be the trophy they hold up either man. I came here to help this team heal, help myself heal, and to help the Lions heal. Why- Why do you guys think I stayed all those years? This was my home man- this was more than a home to me. That hurt when they kicked me out and kept my money. That was the ******* same old Lions. The same Lions I remember when It came down to it for me.
I'm not blind, I remember what I've said. I wasn't going to step into anything Lions till I got paid. You heard it, you remember it. That's why you guys are here and interested right? Right?!?
Man it only took me one phone call with Brad to know that's not how it is anymore, the Lions I remember were gone, this team, that coach, this management, it's over. I- I was talking with maal Williams, I was talking with Buggs, with all these new guys and one thing stood out to me. This team is different, this team is not them Lions I knew. Michael [Brockers] told me he when he came here he did so on a guy feeling, that Coach Campbell got it in him. That Brad got it in him. He was right, we both share that feeling, and I felt that when I came back. Spending these past few weeks with this team showed me that there was something here, something I knew how to help with, and that's what I came to do, help.
What these guys needed was a helping hand, I got that.
What they needed was someone who felt as disconnected as they did, I got that.
And when they needed me, I was there, and I am grateful for being here with these guys. As many of you suspected I do have something to say on my position here as Interim Coach. Many things are spiritual man, many things, and this is one of them. I'm not a coach, I'm just a ball player. I'm not a teacher, I'm just a ball player man. Brad let me know before all of this we were going to make peace, ain't matter on how much time I gave all of them. He made that clear, I gave my time for them, for their souls man. Brand new Lions they've been saying. **** man that's right.
One Pride, Go Lions, Thank you guys, Thank you Brad."
That ends the press conference, all of Detroit is shocked, but none of us knew what all that meant for the coaching position until Brad Holmes revealed this on the last comment before we left the conference room.
- Brad Holmes
"Don't think I'd let you all go without some treats now.
We've had luxury in time with this matter, no rush on it so far, but we've come to finalize terms with Ben Johnson as our new Head Coach of the Detroit Lions. We thank Calvin for what he has done for our team, and we graciously give back to him a peice of ourselves, and his due.
[Brad gets closer to the mic]
Leave your questions until after the draft.
[Microphone is turned off]"
And there was the bombshell news. That's what we've been waiting for right? We'll update everyone after the draft with a press conference from Ben Johnson, now the new Head Coach of the Detroit Lions!?