Lions tell fans to stay away

I remember when the Washington Redskins and their owner, Daniel Snyder, decided to make fans pay 10 bucks to watch their beloved football team practice for the upcoming year.

Fans were complaining, the media was jumping on Snyder, and it seemed like an unthinkable thing to do.

Personally, I thought that with all the money he spent on free agents, old as they were, it was not such a bad thing to do. After all, you could get autographs from some hall of famers and rub shoulders with them for a small fee.

If the Redskin fans did pay the 10 dollar fee, they could watch their team go through their workouts and see the players up close even if they could not afford a regular season ticket.

The Detroit Lion fans don't even have a chance to watch their team at any price.

When I first heard about the new "closed to the public" practices that Matt Millen and Marty Mornhinweg wanted, I was shocked.

I have never gone to any of the training camp practices in years past, but I know of many people who did.

The fans that I talked to really enjoyed being so close to their beloved Lions team. The players were so close that you could actually shake their hands, ask them questions, cheer them on, and even criticize them if you wanted. From what I heard, all of the people that visited the camp had a great time.

So, why did the M&M boys decide to treat their fans this way?

Last year, the Lions were just a terrible team. The coaches never seemed to have them prepared and really had no idea how to run a team. They were a big joke in the NFL.

Millen was never a GM before, and even though he was fun to watch in the booth during all those Lions' losses, his GM inexperience showed by the way he handled the players.

The team acted as if they won the Super Bowl when they got their first win and Mornhinweg didn't know which quarterback to use, finally deciding on Mike McMahon too late in the season to give him enough experience.

Throughout the debacle of a season last year, the Lions' fans still showed up for the games and watched each week on television.

Now, as a thank you to us, the M&M boys decided to have closed practices.

Sure, I know the Lions have a lot to work on. The offense, defense, and special teams all had flaws and holes. They need to concentrate on what their coaches want them to do.

However, can't they do it with fans watching them. After all, don't they think the fans will show up on Sundays in the new Ford Field to see their team play?

The players need this time to bond with the fans, thank them for their continuing support, and make them believe the team will be better this year.

The fans want to see Joey Harrington, the Lions first round draft choice, and see what he looks like throwing the ball.

What could possibly be going on behind the scenes that the public shouldn't see? Even if the fans are critical, the coaches and players need to have thick skin and be able to take criticism.

What I am really surprised about is that the media is not really making a big deal about this. The Redskins were chastised for making the fans pay, locally and nationally. The Lions are getting a free pass on closing the practices.

This is no way to treat the fans of your organization.

I read that William Clay Ford, Jr. wants to open practices to the public in the future, so I know that private practices were not his idea. That brings me back to Millen and Mornhinweg.

I am not confident in their ability to handle a team. They will probably use Harrington as an excuse if they have another bad year, or perhaps may not even use him because of his inexperience. But, how can he get experience if he doesn't play?

The bottom line is that the Detroit Lion fans suffered through a 2-14 season and deserve to be treated to an open Lions' training camp.

Hopefully, next year they will, with or without the M&M boys.