New Lions GM Bob Quinn was formally introduced yesterday, and he did not put a timetable on when he will decide coach Jim Caldwell's fate, saying that he wants to "evaluate Caldwell's entire history as a coach," according to Josh Katzenstein of the DETROIT NEWS. That approach "seems counterintuitive" to Lions President Rod Wood’s "description of Quinn as someone who was prepared with a clear vision of how he’d run the team." But Wood "understands that Quinn couldn’t make such an important decision until he was in place at Lions headquarters where he’d be privy to all the information available on Caldwell." Quinn yesterday "was in no rush ... to make promises." As much as he "wants to build a championship team in Detroit, his time in New England showed him how to do so." Quinn said, “Things in New England ... didn’t happen overnight. It’s a step-by-step, day-by-day, month-by-month process. ... If we can get one step better every day, that’s putting this organization in the right direction" (DETROIT NEWS, 1/12). In Detroit, John Niyo notes Quinn "really didn't say much in his introductory news conference," but some of that "is because he'd only just arrived." And some of it "surely is because he’s not ready to answer most of the pressing questions about his new team, starting with the head coach." But when Quinn "talks about 'building the processes from the ground level up,' that probably doesn’t bode well for a lot of folks already in the building" (DETROIT NEWS, 1/12).
THE PATRIOT WAY? In Detroit, Bob Wojnowski writes Quinn is "sharp and personable and very New England-y," but he also is "methodical, blunt and a bit bland." Quinn seems "far more interested in winning games than winning people over." At times yesterday, he "looked nervous." But "not once did Quinn look lost, nor did he offer up a meaty platter of bloated platitudes." Wojnowski: "No guarantees, no boasts, no timetables" (DETROIT NEWS, 1/12). Also in Detroit, Mitch Albom in a front-page piece writes, "I like him. At first blush. I do. Maybe because he didn’t resort to rhetoric. He didn’t try to be something he wasn’t. He strikes me as a guy who will be more comfortable behind a desk than a microphone, and the fact that he has been building to this job for the last two decades is a good sign. Not proof of success. Just a good sign" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/12). The FREE PRESS' Jeff Seidel writes Quinn came off as "smart and prepared and hit the right notes." But winning a news conference "doesn’t matter, either." All that "matters is the decisions he makes" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/12).
STAMP OF APPROVAL: In Detroit, Drew Sharp writes Lions Owner Martha Ford "has put her personal stamp on her late husband’s franchise." Ford said, "We needed a fresh start." Sharp writes Ford "wasn't simply background noise," as her voice "was clearly heard throughout the season" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/12). The DETROIT NEWS' Katzenstein writes Ford since taking over for her late husband in '14 "has been an active owner." When the team "conducted its search" for a new GM, Ford was "among the people inquiring about the candidates." Lions Special Adviser Ernie Accorsi: "She was involved, believe me" (DETROIT NEWS, 1/12).
