GOING OUT LIKE A LION: An an event surprising only in that it was delayed, the Detroit Lions today fired head coach Marty Mornhinweg after a less-than-stellar two-year tenure in which the Lions went 5-27, including an 0-12 start in 2001 and an 0-16 road record. While the Lions have a talented young quarterback in Joey Harrington and a brand-new stadium, remaining obstacles before a possible franchise turnaround include the presence of team president Matt Millen (the Isiah Thomas of the NFL; he's failed as both a team executive and broadcaster), the unwillingness of Barry Sanders to come out of retirement, and those ugly, ugly uniforms. Aren't they about due for a change on all three counts?
Mornhinweg's dismissal also means that the number of NFL head coaches named Marty has dwindled to one (Schottenheimer, of San Diego), though if, as expected, Steve Mariucci takes over the Lions, the number of Steves will double to two (Mooch and Steve Spurrier of the Redskins). The most popular first name among NFL coaches is currently Mike, with five (Holmgren, Shanahan, Sherman, Martz, and Tice), while Bill is second with four (Parcells, Belichick, Cowher, and Callahan). There are two each of Dave, Dick, Jim, and John/Jon.