Detroit Lions coach and quarterback avoid answering anthem questions
By Ash Thompson
Matt Patricia and Matthew Stafford expressed no opinion on the NFL’s ruling that the home team should decide how to deal with the national anthem.
In the opening statement of Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia’s press conference, we saw a different version of the coach than the one that stepped off a plane wearing a famous shirt. Matt Patricia the Superbowl winning defensive coordinator was more than happy to tweak the league office’s nose, or cover it in a clown prosthetic. Matt Patricia the head coach was not so open. The Smile of his introductory appearances was nowhere to be seen as he hit the podium.
He began his press conference by thanking all of the current and former military personnel in advance of the veterans day weekend. When pressed for a stance on the NFL’s recent ruling on the anthem and flag, however, he dodged the question. “I have not had a chance to sit down with Mrs. Ford or Rod (Wood) and talk about that yet. So right now we’re just focused on today, practice, and trying to make sure we go out and have a good practice.”
When it was reiterated that all that was being asked was his personal opinion on the matter Patricia continued to evade. “Again, right now I’m just really worried about practice” the Lions coach began, and continued for quite some time without actually answering the question asked. I would like to give kudos to the beat reporters for moving on.
The tone of Patricia’s relationship with the media has changed recently. A report in the Detroit media about what was probably the worst moment of Patricia’s life, two decades ago, seems to mark a potential turning point. None of us, as fans of the team, would particularly like to see a return to the “check the report” days of the Jim Caldwell era.
Patricia also seemed to appreciate the recognition from the group that he wasn’t going to discuss the matter. His response to the next question of the media availability, one regarding what he’s seen from the team thus far, and what he wants to work on going forward began: “Yeah, good question.” It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that he didn’t think the previous question was up to par.
Matthew Stafford was no more candid on the matter. “Listen, we haven’t talked about it as a team. You know, we’ll figure all that stuff out when it comes to September.” Much like his head coach Stafford was keen to bring the focus back to this weeks OTAs. “I’m not too worried about it at the moment. I’m focused on trying to get better.”
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The leadership of the Lions is in lockstep. While it would be interesting for fans and the media to know their opinions it is difficult to fault them for not wanting to step into this minefield. We can only hope that the head coach is back to the smiling and relatively open figure we have seen before. For now, it is probably a good thing that he is choosing to stick to football.