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Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:31 pm EST

Detroit columnist mocks Rod Marinelli during press conference

By Chris Chase

As if serving as the head coach for a 0-15 team wasn't bad enough, now Lions coach Rod Marinelli has to deal with smart-aleck questions from newspaper columnists. After his team's 42-7 drubbing Sunday at the hands of the New Orleans Saints, Rod Marinelli was taking questions about the woeful state of his team's defense, which is led by Marinelli's son-in-law, Joe Barry. This led to the following exchange:

That's Detroit News columnist Rob Parker asking Marinelli, "On a light note, seriously, do you wish your daughter had married a better defensive coordinator?"

You stay classy, Rob Parker. I'm all for questioning coaching nepotism, but it has to be done with legitimate questions, not queries that are asked with the sole purpose of mocking.

The guys on FOX tee off on Parker (whose bio says he "is a sports columnist for the Detoit [sic] News"), with Terry Bradshaw calling him "a flat idiot" and Michael Strahan calling for his termination. Howie Long gets it right by saying that Marinelli's coaching deserves to be questioned, but not in such a flippant, disrespectful manner.

My main problem with the question is that Parker brings Marinelli's daughter into the discussion. There were many better and more clever ways to rip on Joe Barry without having to resort to take the family route. Parker is lucky Marinelli didn't come off the podium and give him the business. The Lions coach might be 59-years old, but I'm guessing the Vietnam veteran still has plenty of fight left in him and, after watching that game, plenty of pent-up aggression.

Video thanks: Awful Announcing

Update: Some of our commenters note that Parker was caught earlier this year making up stories about Michigan State football players.

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912 Comments

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  1. Stop looking at me.
    1. Posted by Stop looking at me. Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:01 pm EDT

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    He's probably a liberal.
  2. travismj332000
    2. Posted by travismj332000 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:19 pm EDT

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    I feel bad for Marinelli. He is a classy guy who obviously wants better for his team and stays calm even through disrespectful garbage like this. I hope they win a game, and that Marinelli goes somewhere else where he can be a good coach.
  3. Bill
    3. Posted by Bill Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:34 pm EDT

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    Hey "cowboys are awful" I actually agree with the idiots from fox, I didn't see any real reason why Rob Parker had to take a cheap shot at coach. I feel sorry for the fans too because i have been to the lions games of late and I see the desparation in the fans to get a good game out of detroit. Detroit and the surrounding area's are full of middle class working joes that want to see thier team winning on the tube after a long week of working on the factory floor day in and day out, busting our asses to get a paycheck to get us by. No matter how you lay it out, detroit fans want a team to cheer for besides our unstoppable redwings and our on again, off again pistons!! It's time for a major overhaul in detroit!!
  4. travismj332000
    4. Posted by travismj332000 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:19 pm EDT

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    I mean, really. I'm as big of a football fan as anyone, but this is a sport, a game. Why are you going to try and publicly humiliate a grown man, and a well noted good guy, over a sport? This one really gets under my skin. It's really none of Parker's f*cking business who Marinelli's daughter marries, and hopefully the Lions won't be any of his business after he gets fired over his stupid taunts. What a loser.
  5. travismj332000
    5. Posted by travismj332000 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:19 pm EDT

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    I mean, really. I'm as big of a football fan as anyone, but this is a sport, a game. Why are you going to try and publicly humiliate a grown man, and a well noted good guy, over a sport? This one really gets under my skin. It's really none of Parker's business who Marinelli's daughter marries, and hopefully the Lions won't be any of his business after he gets fired over his stupid taunts. What a loser.
  6. Arnold S
    6. Posted by Arnold S Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:05 pm EDT

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    I feel bad for this coach. Really I am not a Lions fan, but in this circumstance, firing a classy coach who in any case had no ideas how to stop this humongous skid, is not the way to go. Period. Lions fans who want him out should be ashamed of themselves as helpless losers. If you want success, start your spring cleaning at the front office because they are terrible!
  7. Big Ben or Big Boy
    7. Posted by Big Ben or Big Boy Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:06 pm EDT

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    It was a cheap shot but this coach is 0-15! The worst season ever in NFL history! He deserves part of the blame. I don't feel sorry for Marinelli in the slightest though if he wanted to take a swing at that reporter, I would understand that too.
  8. diehard_wings_fan134096
    8. Posted by diehard_wings_fan134096 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:43 pm EDT

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    ok hiring his son-in-law was a suspect hiring (and I'm being WAY generous in calling it a "suspect" hiring) but that's out of line by parker.....he's lucky rod's physically sick and tired of dealing with the press (you have to be when you just say "yeah" in response) because he should have had rod in is face after that comment........rod should have beat the $#!t outta this joker....
  9. Michael B
    9. Posted by Michael B Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:12 pm EDT

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    lions are going to beat the packers next week
    You can't blame marinelli for their record. I don't know if anybody could win a game with that roster
  10. Brofins
    10. Posted by Brofins Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:01 pm EDT

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    Rob Paker is low! This newspaper (Detroit News) who employs him must look at their business too, or is a lowlife newspaper. Make you wonder how much money he had riding on this game. Detroit news look into that, that's your story as well.
    Thanks Rob "I'm a tool" Parker
  11. Robyn
    11. Posted by Robyn Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:41 pm EDT

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    apparently, most of you haven' t been paying attention this season at all. this is NOT the first exchange like this between these two. parker is at him every week and he should be. those idiots at fox aren't here and haven't cared to report on the lions for most of the season until today, even though there may not be much to report. its a little late in the season for caring and coming to marinelli's rescue. stay in hollywood and enjoy sitting back and getting paid to talk while michigan and detroit crumble. i do give marinelli credit for still showing his face to the media, but if you are the head coach of the worst team in nfl history, you better be ready for people like parker.
  12. travismj332000
    12. Posted by travismj332000 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:19 pm EDT

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    I'd be careful about which Vietnam vets I called [profane]. Without people like that, you might not be able to have a Yahoo! account where you can think of such crafty ways to express your disdain for Dallas.
  13. Hitman
    13. Posted by Hitman Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:48 pm EDT

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    Typical low class wanna be journalist who obviously has no clue about correct behavoir. Cowboys are awful- you are so wrong YOU need your a$$ kicked and your smart mouth slapped.There is nothing funny about your comments. You are a real tough guy behind your keyboard- have you got the GUTS to tell Bradshaw, Strahan and Chase to their face what you said here? If I knew you would show up I would teach you the meaning of respect. You, sir, are a disgrace.
  14. damond t
    14. Posted by damond t Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:39 pm EDT

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    parker should be fired!!!!!
  15. DennardC
    15. Posted by DennardC Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:46 pm EDT

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    Rob Parker is a punk and somebody needs to get in his you know what and let him know he needs to check himself.
  16. LT
    16. Posted by LT Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:16 pm EDT

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    I would've said "No, but I'm sure your father-in-law wishes his daughter would've married a better journalist."
    As far as hiring his son-in-law, if you think that doesn't happen in other teams, then you have no business posting anything on the NFL anywhere. Staff hires are not just up to the coach. They have to be approved by management and ownership. What's happening with the Lions is endemic, and it starts at the very top. Marinelli had owners AND players who didn't care. He is part of the problem, but he is not the only, or event the main part of the problem.
  17. LT
    17. Posted by LT Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:16 pm EDT

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    You can reach Rob Parker at rob.parker@detnews.com
  18. Matthew
    18. Posted by Matthew Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:29 pm EDT

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    That reporter should be fired! There is no room for that unprofessional behavior.
  19. tazzman2444
    19. Posted by tazzman2444 Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:57 pm EDT

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    Rod Marinelli is a bonehead hardheaded idiot that has now coach detroit into laughing stock history, shoyld have quit a month ago, at least Bobby Ross knew when his time was up & he & the Fords deserve everything they get. It's just ashamed the fans are helpless in all this...Money says Ford keeps Marinelli as head coach because Ford is a Moron. Lets add one more regular season game next year so the Liuons can break their record for futility. Joe Barry couldn't coach a Pee Wee defensive unti.
  20. Darren C
    20. Posted by Darren C Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:53 pm EDT

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    It's journalists job to ask questions. Coaches and players answer them, and if memory serves me correctly, you rarely get the same lines and cliches over and over again. Strahan was absolutely dead on with the fact that Joe Barry is Rod Marinelli's son-in-law has absolutely NOTHING to do with football. While Marinelli has rarely earned positive credit over the course of the season, you have to give him some for not ripping Parker's head off. Coaches really don't want to answer questions, Parker crossed the line for sure.
  21. Thomas F
    21. Posted by Thomas F Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:02 pm EDT

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    Rob Parker.....High quality reporter (insert scarcasm)
    http://deadspin.com/5070391/a-detroit-columnist-caught-making-stuff-up-surely-not
  22. Btown
    22. Posted by Btown Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:48 pm EDT

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    Everyone email him - rparker@detnews.com - and his editor - jon.wolman@detnews.com, and demand his termination for his remarks.
  23. J B
    23. Posted by J B Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:26 pm EDT

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    One more game and it won't matter anyway. I just hope Detroit finishes with a perfect season. GO PACK GO!
  24. Doug B
    24. Posted by Doug B Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:55 pm EDT

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    "Commentators should really keep their mouths shut. They don't do anything but put their own opinion on the line and that's rarely something profound. "
    Hey Cowboys, speaking of profound maybe you should consider the fact that the job of the commentator is to opine about the situation at hand. Now that would really be profound instead of reading your little boy rants with every other would being profane. But, then again maybe you need to visit Webster's to tell the diffence between the two words.
  25. APPLE
    25. Posted by APPLE Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:27 pm EDT

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    I agree Rob's comments were not ok and really disrespectfull ...still can not believe Lions have not won a game!

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Shutdown Corner is an NFL blog edited by Matthew J. Darnell. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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