I'm not sure anyone really blames him, given the weakness of the tools at his disposal, but he did have to leave. About 95% of the club's employees need to go, if there was anyway to do that, but the coaching staff (six assistants, including both coordinators have fired or demoted) will have to do for now. It's been a steady downward progression since the last playoff win in 1991, and there's a certain cathartic release in knowing that it literally cannot get any worse.

Wait ... actually, it can. Most Lions observers should have no confidence that owner William Clay Ford will pick a sound rational manager to run his football team, despite windmill-tilting rumors that Bill Parcells may opt out of his Dolphins contract and would like to come run the new worst team in football. The Big Tuna's ego is certainly up the task, but is the man himself that desperate to prove his awesomeness? Don't hold your breath.

So now we wait. For Sam Bradford or a Herschel Walker-like trade or Barry Sanders Jr., no one is quite sure. We just wait. And think about all that Matt Millen gave us—especially the Zero and Sixteen 2008 Detroit Lions.

Lions fire Marinelli; Mayhew named GM, Lewand team president [Freep]
Tuna fishing? Parcells has opt-out clause [ESPN]
One Man's Plan to Revive the Lions [Fanhouse]
PFW ranks Giant's Spanuolo as top head coaching candidate [Highlight Reel]
Shouldn't the losingest of owners pretend to care? [Mitch Albom]
How Can Detroit Go Winless in Today's NFL? [Time]
Why Parcells is a perfect fit for Detroit Lions [Sports Climax]

Parker's awful attempt at humor (and lame, self-serving apology) will hopefully rile up some intensity in the dreadful Lions for the sake of their cuddly coach. It's probably too late to save Marinelli's job, but now that's he's basically gone all angry dad and refused to accept Parker's excuse, it's just made the Packers/Lions game extremely compelling:

"Anytime you attack my daughter, I've got a problem with that ..." Marinelli said. "It was premeditated. I think there's something wrong with that."

Did it cross the line?

"Big time," Marinelli said.

Boom, bitch.

All last minute bluster aside, 1-15 would be a remarkable achievement, given this man's circumstances. He's had four months of opportunities to explode at the dais during his depressing press conferences, but always chose to fire-off a self-help book quote about positivity he probably read on the toilet the night before. His responses were goofy and hokey, and , honestly, something he probably had trouble believing himself 90% of the time, but what were the alternatives? Smashing a microphone, picking fights with reporters, an animated freak-out or passing off blame to the Ford family or Matt Millen would have probably made him more popular and been justified. But, until yesterday, he went the other direction.

The Detroit News has also taken issue with Parker's line of questioning and managing editor Don Nauss suggested that the columnist's job might be in jeopardy. How come? Because Rod Marinelli, for all of his hopelessness as a coach, proved himself to be a good guy, who still cared about his team and his own self-respect throughout this horrendous season. Rob Parker, a sniveling cock of epic proportions, did not. It's karmic justice.

This Sunday's game with the Packers will be a wretched, freezing day in Green Bay pitting two lifeless teams against one another, but it's suddenly been given an infusion of pathos thanks to this whole Parker situation. Wouldn't it be great if the NFL actually went out of its way to flex schedule this game? Let the playoff scenarios settle in the afternoon and let the Lions defend Rod Marinelli's honor in prime time. It won't happen, of course, but it would suddenly give an incredibly bland NFL regular season some melodrama. And remember that Lions team that went 0-12 back in 2001? Well, that was the story line three weeks ago when the Lions were 0-12. Aveion Cason, a member of that Lions team, told the Freep reporter that finally snagging a victory during that pathetic stretch was like "winning the Super Bowl."

Imagine what they'll feel like if they win on Sunday.

And that, folks, may be the biggest prick move of the season ... or was it the savviest?

Parker's unfortunate question at the Lions post-game press conference on Sunday was handled with class by Marinelli; Detroit's head coach just grunted and moved on (I suspect that Jim Mora or Mike Ditka may have reacted differently). But it didn't take long for others to pounce on Parker, as we see in the video when Terry Bradshaw and the other the Fox desk jockeys begin gnawing on him. Less than 24 hours later, Parker is a virtual outcast. Take a look at his Wikipedia page, for instance, where I found this little embellishment:

Ha. Sunday's question of course was in reference to Lions defensive coordinator Joe Barry, who is married to Marinelli's daughter. Parker says it was all in fun, and apologized in a column that was hastily put up on the News' web site this morning. But more likely, it may have been just another attempt by Parker to draw attention to himself. At the beginning of the season, no one knew who Rob Parker was; he is by all accounts a pretty average journalist with poor writing skills. But after a little run-in with the Michigan State football folks earlier this year — for which he also has apologized — and now this, he's really getting his name out there, no?

Granted, it's getting out there in the same way that Jay Mariotti and Gregg Doyel do (although both are better writers), with various epithets attached. But it is getting out there. And that could be important, considering the shape that the Daily News is in. If Parker isn't fired over this latest controversy, he may soon be out of a job anyway. Name recognition isn't such a bad thing when you're looking for a job, and if you're seen as an antagonist, all the better.

Parker has been working on this act for longer than people suspect: Remember when he called Hank Aaron a coward? Parker may just be trying to survive the only way he knows how, by marching through the Internets banging a large pot with a metal spoon. Chances are he's on the radio somewhere right now explaining himself, and if so, chances are excellent that it's an ESPN station. Anyway, when you see him next month trading bon mots with Woody Paige on Around the Horn, you'll know why.

Post-game Ugliness In Motown [Pro Football Talk]
There's More To Marinelli [The Detroit News]
Parker Is Either A Liar Or Has An Awful Sense Of Humor [Real Clear Sports]

The NFL's collective bargaining agreement forbids any contact drills or use of pads at minicamps. This appears to be where the problem lies. One player said that practices were so physical that a couple of linemen got into a "scuffle."

I know that the NFL has rules, and that it's very bad to break them. But I think the Detroit Lions players have, given their past performance, abandoned the right to complain about such things. It shouldn't matter if Rod Marinelli has them engaging in fight-to-the-death kickboxing, they're the Detroit Lions. Right or wrong, when a team is that bad, and they complain about a coach being too hard on them, just one word comes to mind, and it rhymes with pussy.

Anyway, as a result of their complaining, the league found that the Lions did break some rules, and they have mandated that the Lions forfeit two days of their off-season program. Players won't have to be at the practice facility Monday or Tuesday, but will get paid anyway. I really think that's what the Lions need. Paid time off.

Lions players file grievance against Marinelli [mlive.com]

Lions get off days from workouts after complaint [Detroit Free Press]

Hey, this is what happens when you get hired by Matt Millen. Speaking of which ... where is Millen this week? Any Millen spottings near Ford Field yet? Is he gonna wear a "Drink Like A Champion" T-shirt? We'll get Daulerio on this.

We still think Millen and Mike Tice are in a bar in Grosse Pointe somewhere, trying to figure out why everyone's always giving that Cowher guy so much credit. And wondering if they could grow his mustache.

Rod Marinelli Will Wipe Your A$$! [Kevin Antcliff]

We do not know Marinelli well — we tend to not run in the same social circles — but in just about every corner of the NFL universe ("Fire Millen!"), the hiring is considered suspect. Marinelli not only has never been a head coach before, he's never been a coordinator. He's also 56 years old and not well known around the league. He also, during his press conference today, used the phrases "I believe in the development of skill" and "I want a team that will play one snap at a time. And I know how to teach that." (Hey, we can teach that too: Just use one ball. We guarantee you, limiting yourself to one ball will assure you of each snap being uniquely singular.)

But, you know ("Fire Millen!"), we have absolute faith that this hiring is going to work out great. How could it not? ("Fire Millen!")

That's Our Millen [Sweaty Men Endeavors]