Only Rob Parker Could Turn Rod Marinelli Into A Sympathetic Figure

Detroit News columnist and ESPN contributor Rob Parker is taking a lot of heat (a lot of it justified) for his in-poor-taste comments aimed at Detroit Lions head football coach Rod Marinelli (asking him, in a poor attempt at humor, if he wished his daughter had married a better defensive coordinator. Joe Barry, the Lions’ defensive coordinator, is married to Marinelli’s daughter). Ironically enough, however, it seems that Parker may have done a lot to turn Marinelli into a sympathetic figure … in spite of the fact he has a pitiful0-15 record and has turned the franchise even more into the laughingstock of professional football. Marinelli seems to be a good man, but he has really hurt himself during his tenure as head coach with his unwillingness to truly own up to the failures of this team under his direction and leadership. Parker has asked Marinelli some tough questions and should ask tough questions. In Parker’s defense, he asks the tough questions that a lot of journalists and columnists will not ask. He asks the questions that the guys who bashed him on Fox (Terry Bradshaw, Michael Strahan, Jimmy Johnson and Howie Long) probably would not ask because their job is to make the NFL look good with only mildcriticism. I agree that Parker was out of line with his comments toward Marinelli, but I disagree that he was taking a shot at Marinelli’s daughter. He was, however, taking a cheap shot at both Rod and his son-in-law, Joe Barry. But, now that Parker is being trashed in the media, Marinelli has been put into the role of victim and has become a sympathetic figure. Marinelli played up that status by implying Parker took a shot at his daughter. It’s Rod’s choice whether or not he wants to accept Rob’s apology, and I would have no problems either way. But, hopefully he will not play this victim status up too much and he will move on to the biggest problem … Detroit being the first NFL team to lose 15 games in a season and potentially being the first team to finish 0-16 in a season. Parker’s poor comment aside, Marinelli still needs to answer for why he should continue to have a job as head coach of the Detroit Lions.