Faltering Lions fire mediocre Mariucci
NFL NOTES Thanksgiving Day loss final straw NFL says referee erred on two TDs
The Detroit Lions fired coach Steve Mariucci yesterday and promoted defensive co- ordinator Dick Jauron to succeed him on an interim basis.
Mariucci’s record with the Lions was 15- 28. His 2003 hiring was hailed by fans and media alike, but he was not able to turn around a team that has won one playoff game since 1957.
“ It’s hard for me to stand up here in this position because Steve is a friend,” said Jauron, who had a 35- 46 record as head coach of the Bears from 19992003. After Detroit lost 27- 7 to the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving to fall to 4- 7, reports swirled that the team was considering firing Mariucci. “We started off this season with high expectations. I believed this was a roster that was capable of making a playoff run,” said team president Matt Millen. NOT REALLY TDS:
The Seattle Seahawks received rare word from the NFL that referee Larry Nemmers erred Sunday on two of the New York Giants’ three touchdowns in Seattle’s 24- 21 overtime victory.
“ I had a conversation with the league, and there were mistakes that were made, which we felt at the time,” said Seattle coach Mike Holmgren, one of eight men on the NFL competition committee that oversees rules and game operations. The NFL said touchdown catches made by Jeremy Shockey and Amani Toomer shouldn’t have been ruled completions. MY BROTHER’S KEEPER:
When police found a marijuana pipe in Michael Irvin’s car, the former Dallas Cowboys star said it belonged to his brother, contradicting a statement he made to the media saying it belonged to a friend.
“ It’s my brother’s, he left it in there,” a police officer quoted Irvin as saying in a court document obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
Irvin declined to name the friend yesterday, but said he cares more about getting those closest to him off drugs than he does being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was named among 25 semifinalists last week. “ More important to me is to help my friends and help my brother and to remove this drug addiction spirit out of my family,” said Irvin. NINERS GO WITH ROOKIE:
Alex Smith will be the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback for the final five games of the regular season, coach Mike Nolan said yesterday.
Smith, the No. 1 overall draft pick, started two games last month before straining ligaments in his left knee. He sat out the next five games while Ken Dorsey made three starts and Cody Pickett got two more.