Detroit fishwrap comment of the day - Joey Blue Skies is looking for a job

In a move totally expected if you've been a fan of any team Joey Harrington has played for, the Atlanta Falcons released Joey Blue Skies today.

Please pardon me for a second, I need to say something...

To all those Falcons fans who invaded TWFE with pitchforks and torches last August when I claimed Harrington would lead them nowhere but to the bottom of the standings, once again, I have to say, I TOLD YOU SO! I SOOOO DID! BUT WOULD YOU LISTEN? NOOOOOO!

Thanks for putting up with the post jack. We now return to your regularly scheduled blog post.

In comment thread to the Harrington article, baleedat asks a silly question.

Anyone think he would have done better had he played for teams that didn't stink so bad?

Dude, come on. Does this question really deserve an answer? In fact, you should turn the question around. Would the teams Joey played for hadn't have picked him up, would they have sucked less?

In Detroit's case, definitely.

Joey will be looking for his strawberries and champagne
while wearing another uniform...An Arena League uniform.

A bust is a bust is a bust. Without question, no doubt about it, Joey is a bust. A 3rd overall pick who will be forever known as a BUST. A MASSIVE bust. The Lions would have been better off going in any other direction but Harrington's.

The number 3 overall pick should be...No, the 3rd overall pick HAS TO BE a franchise player. A game changer. The best player on your team. A Pro Bowler. A team leader. One of the best overall at his position. Harrington was none of those things. Not even close...

Now Joey Blue Skies is on the job market. You have to wonder how many more shots he's going to get in the NFL. The Lions, Fish, and Falcons let him walk with absolutely no regrets, even though each team had serious issues at QB. When you can't beat out the likes of Jon Kitna, Cleo Lemon, or Brian Leftwich (2 journeymen, and 1 "you gotta be kidding me, he's starting?"), I think that says it all about Joey Blue Skies.

Despite those facts, Harrington will probably land on a NFL roster somewhere to hold a clipboard. (the only job in the league he's capable of doing well) Which has me wondering why NFL coaches have yet to realize what fans did years ago...

Joey blows, and blows hard.

Memo to Falcons fans: I TOLD YOU SO

The news out of Atlanta yesterday regarding Joey Harrington's status as the Falcons' starting QB was something we in Detroit absolutely expected to hear.

Byron Leftwich is taking over under center for the Falcons, replacing Joey Blue Skies. You didn't need to be a psychic to see that coming. You just needed to be a Detroit Lions fan.

Joey Blue Skies being administered last rites by Pope Millen

Once again, I need to tell the Atlanta fans that ripped me for my claims that Joey was going to lead the Falcons nowhere, but to the bottom of the standings, one thing...

For the second time this season, I TOLD YOU SO!

Or to paraphrase the annoying as Hell Verizon guy, DO YOU BELIEVE ME NOW?

But nooooo, you Falcons followers didn't want to heed my warnings of Joey's suckitude. Despite Joey's awful track record, ignoring the anguished cries of disgusted fans in Detroit and Miami, you believed that Mr. Blue Skies would lead you to the promised land, that wonderfully happy place we in Detroit are told is known as "The NFL playoffs."

If there is one thing we Lions fans learned in watching Mr. Blue Skies over 4 long, ugly, losing seasons is that he is not a NFL quality QB. He's another in a long line of Jeff Tedford system QB's, who could do nothing in the NFL other than throw dump offs, miss wide open receivers, then deny it was their fault.

Still, some refuse to admit, or turn a blind eye, to Joey's failures.

From the AJC's Falcons' blog, The Bird Babe...

Joey is not great, but he makes good plays at times. He needs some help. He needs blockers and he needs the receivers to hang onto the ball. He needs to stick to the short throws. He can’t seem to make the long throws.

Stick to short throws? Hilarious! Joey loves "Short throws!" As we saw all too often in Detroit, his his go-to call on 3rd and long was the 3 yard check off.

I'm not sure you'll be better off with the immobile statue that is Byron Leftwich, but you sure as Hell won't be worse off.

That's 3 teams, and counting, whom benched Harrington midseason. The fact that Joey Blue Skies will be a backup on someone's roster next season is proof as to how desperately bad the quarterback position has become in the NFL.

The thought of Harrington being an injury to your team's starting QB away from starting should send shivers down your spine...

To all the Atlanta Falcons fans...

...Who 1 month ago ripped me, and defended Joey Harrington, will be singing a different tune. In fact, they now have to be grieving, as they have to come to grips with the realization that their season is going nowhere with Joey Blue Skies at the helm.

For the record, Harrington's stats against the Vikings today were as follows: 23-32-199-2, 6 sacks. Both picks were returned for TD's. Seems Joey took the "Wet toast" offense with him to Atlanta.

I know it's only one game, and it's a very long season, but Falcons fans...I TOLD YOU SO!

By the way, the Falcons message board that linked to my diatribe is down as of 4:15 today. I'm guessing their servers have been overwhelmed by Atlanta fans heading to the internet to bitch about Joey Blue Skies.

Atlanta, welcome to Joey's world.

Never trash talk a Lions fan

It seems my post raking Joey Harrington over the coals ruffled the feathers of some Atlanta Falcons fans. Someone posted my diatribe on a Falcons message board. A "Brian" even left a comment ripping me, Detroit, and the Lions as new one.

Hey "Big Al", FACT: The Detroit Lions SUCK, not Joey Harrington. Worst team in the league past 10 years. FACT: Joey Harrington punked you guys throwing 3 TDs on Thanksgiving 2006. MVP of the game. Remember that Big Al?? Hahaha. FACT: Joey Harrington has a 6-Mil contract from the Atlanta Falcons, and you sniveling turds in Loser Town still blame him for the fact your TEAM sucks!! Them are the FACTs Big Al!! The truth hurts, right? :)

There's one problem with the opposition fans trash talking the Lions. It doesn't bother us because...We AGREE! Wholeheartedly! Without question!

You aren't saying anything that we Lions fans haven't already said about the Lions numerous times. Hell, we've ripped them most every Sunday of the season for decades. You are taking about a fanbase that looks back fondly on the Wayne Fontes years, for chrissakes!

We know the Lions suck, that they have always sucked, and will continue to suck! We know Matt Millen's a blooming idiot. We know they are a joke of a franchise. We know they are an embarrassment. We know the Falcons, and damn near every other team in the NFL, are better than the Lions.

In regard to last Thanksgiving, to be honest, we actually took a perverse pleasure in Harrington's 3 TD performance. I'm sure you are wondering, "Why?" Because we hope against hope that a fiasco like the Joey Blue Skies' nationally televised win will get the Lions doddering, richer than God, know nothing, octogenarian of an owner to clean house. Again...

Obviously, some, including the upset commenter, thought my bashing was just sour grapes. Since Joey Blue Skies failed here in the D, I don't want to see him succeed anywhere. To let you all know the truth, I could give a shit about Harrington and the Falcons. I'm just happy I don't have to watch him flail about the pocket aimlessly anymore.

I prefer to think of that post as more of a warning to Falcons fans to not get their hopes up, as Joey Harrington is an absolutely awful QB. At his best, he's below average. Jon Kitna is 10X the QB, and he does nothing more than put up empty stats.

I'm telling you now, and most Lions and Dolphins fans will agree. As long as Harrington is the Falcons QB, they aren't winning anything.

Detroit fans (Such as The Battleship, one of the writers at the excellent blog "Check out My HEMI," who defended my post) who aren't blinded by their passion for the Lions, that don't drink the Kool-aid or eat the cornbread, know that Harrington wasn't the only reason the Lions blew, but he was a big reason. Why else would every head coach during his tenure want to replace Joey Blue Skies?

Marty Moronwheg had a massive crush on Mike McMahon. Mooch, slick as a used car salesman, and about as sincere, lusted for Jeff Garcia. Marinelli and Martz signed 2 free agent QB's who had started in the NFL, Kitna and Josh McCown. About the only person who continually had faith in Harrington was Matt Millen. 'Nuff said...

Atlanta fans, remember who you are pinning you hopes upon. We are talking about the 3rd overall pick in of the 2002 draft. Someone taken that high should be a franchise QB, especially going into his 6th season. But Harrington has been unceremoniously benched, and then let go, by his last 2 employers.

We watched Harrington in Detroit for 4 seasons, and we never saw a playoff caliber QB. Unfortunately for Atlanta fans, you won't either...

As Joey Blue Skies whines incessantly, TWFE reads between the whines

With Atlanta's Michael Vick not playing football anytime soon, and probably never again, his backup, and new Falcons starter, the much reviled Joey Harrington, is in the news.

As I was pondering what to say about Detroit's latest QB fiasco (I'll have some thoughts on the Stanton to the IR decision later today), I ran across Fox Sports' John Czarnecki's recent interview with Detroit's previous QB fiasco, Joey Blue Skies. The happy footed one felt the need to explain why he's now ready to be a good quarterback, despite failing miserably in Detroit and Miami.

Here's Joey doing what he does best, looking 3 yards down field for his safety valve

As I read the interview, I just had to post my responses to Joey's complaints, excuses, and all around cluelessness.

"I feel like I've learned from my Lions' experience"

Learned what? That you sucked? It didn't take all that long for Lions fans to figure that out. Took fans of the Fish even less time.

"But I don't want to ever be over it because it reminds me of the type of player that I don't want to be."

Don't want to be the player that sucked? Makes sense, but I don't see it happening. You sucked in Detroit, sucked in Miami, and the odds are overwhelming that you'll suck in Atlanta.

"I was a different player in Detroit."

Well, a piano playing QB with happy feet and no accuracy definitely could be called "Different," to be sure. But different as in sucking less? No, you fit right in with a long line of QB failures in Detroit. Doesn't seem all that different to me.

"I came into a situation and tried to do too much for too many people."

Uh, to be honest, the only thing you did too much of was lose. I'm sure you didn't do nearly enough for Dre' Bly's taste, to say the very least.

"I tried to be something for everybody."

I'll agree that you sucked for everybody.

"What I learned from being that way is that I wasn't really being myself."

If you weren't Joey Harrington, then you were doing a damn fine imitation of Scott Mitchell at the end of his years in Detroit.

"And the ironic part is that in order to be whatever it takes to be a great quarterback you have to be a bit selfish sometimes and you have take care of your own well-being and it's something that I sacrificed in Detroit."

Considering your chronic happy feet, and innate ability to throw 3 yard dump offs on 3rd and 10, rather than stay in the pocket, look down field, and take a hit, Lions fans would agree that you did a damn good job of taking care of your own well-being. You want to talk about sacrifice? We fans sacrificed all hope of the Lions having even a .500 season during the Joey Blue Skies era.

"The first thing people told me was that the Lions hadn't had a quarterback since Bobby Layne."

And they still haven't...

"I was supposed to be some kind of savior. People told me I had one of the two toughest jobs in Detroit; the other is being goalie for the Red Wings."

A savior? More like a curse. A never ending curse of Detroit QB's who couldn't throw a ball in the ocean, hit the broad side of a barn, or, wonder of wonders, hit a receiver in stride. Actually, the 2 toughest jobs in Detroit are being a Lions fan ('nuff said), and the head of PR for the Lions. You try making the Matt Millen and William Clay Ford look good...

"The offense wasn't what I'm best suited for and I'll be the first person to tell you that."

The "Wet toast" offense blew royally, no question. Considering you've been discarded by 2 teams, and are the desperation choice of a 3rd, I think it's been confirmed that you're not suited to run ANY offense.

"The West Coast offense is based on a guy who can improvise, for a guy who can really make plays when things break down. I can do that, but I can't consistently do that."

Actually, we never saw you improvise, and then make a play, period. Unless throwing an incomplete pass into the feet of a running back in the flat on 3rd and long is considered consistently improvising.

"The way I am going to beat teams is by knowing more about them than they know about me. I mean, I'm going to know how to combat everything you are trying to do to me."

All the opposition needs to know about Joey Blue Skies is that if the D-line rush gets even remotely close to you in the pocket, the ball is leaving your hand in a hurry, the receiver being open or not be damned. Then again, it's not hard to defend your go to play, the bail out swing pass in the flat.

"I'm going to beat you with my head and I'm going to beat you with my arm."

Lions fans would like to take your arm, and beat you over your head with it. But when factoring in your arm's accuracy, we'd only hit your head 48% of the time.

"We talked for 30 minutes and I will tell you it's the longest time I've spent with any owner in my five years in the NFL."

Uh, William Clay Ford would never have lowered himself to actually talk to anyone who isn't...Well, he doesn't talk to anyone at all, save for the occasional incoherent conversations with Matt Millen. Even if he did try to talk to you, it would have been like trying to converse with Grandpa Simpson without his meds...

"I was asking him all these questions about Atlanta and the south because it is so new for us. A little while later my wife received four or five books on the history, the culture of Atlanta, things to do here. It was a classy move. I am so fortunate to be here, to be part of this city and to be part of a team led by a genuine man."

Ooooo, snap! I'd say he didn't like his time in the D, you think? As if Ford gives a shit...About anything or anyone, let alone a QB who couldn't complete a 10 yard pass if his life depended upon it.. And Joey, the feelings are mutual. Good riddance to happy footed trash...

"I can't believe the opportunity that I have. I couldn't have asked for anything better."

First off, I don't think Atlanta is all that happy with your "Opportunity." If the Vick stupidity gene hadn't kicked in, you'd be just another bad backup QB. Honestly, I'd love to hear what you'll have to say 8 losses into the season, when you'll be back to doing what you do best. Whine, play the piano, and hold a clipboard, as it sure as Hell isn't playing quarterback.