Scott Mitchell throws shade at Barry Sanders, tells Eminem and Jeff Daniels to [expletive] off

Scott Mitchell throws shade at Barry Sanders, tells Eminem and Jeff Daniels to [expletive] off

Former Detroit Lions quarterback Scott Mitchell recently voiced his opinions on the new Amazon Prime documentary “Bye Bye Barry,” which delves into the career of his former teammate, Barry Sanders. Mitchell’s remarks challenge the long-held narrative surrounding the Lions’ lack of Super Bowl success during Sanders’ tenure. He expresses frustration over being labeled as the primary reason for the team’s failures and counters the popular belief that his substantial contract hindered the team’s ability to retain key players.

What did Scott Mitchell Say?

During a Facebook rant, Mitchell pointed out the departure of significant talents like Chris Spielman, Lomas Brown, and Kevin Glover, which weakened the team in Sanders’ later years. He also suggests that the team’s decision-making at the coaching level, particularly the firing of offensive coordinator Tom Moore and the hiring of Bobby Ross, negatively impacted the team’s performance. Mitchell’s comments aim to shift the blame from individual players to broader team issues, including Sanders himself, highlighting the complexity of the Lions’ struggles during that era.

From Facebook:

I just watched #ByeByeBarry on Amazon Prime. It was not a very pleasant experience . I was Barry Sanders teammate for 5 years. I had a front row seat to some of the most amazing plays in NFL history. He will never have an equal as a pure runner in the NFL. I could argue that their were several running backs that were more complete but I won’t. Barry was great!!

However, I am so tired of hearing how I was the reason that Barry Sanders never won a Super Bowl. I’m so tired of hearing how I was not a good QB. My only response is F___K YOU ALL!!!!! That includes #eminem#JeffDaniels

I can’t even began to tell you what a disappointment it is to here my own coach, Wayne Fontes, who went out in free agency and actively pursed me to the point of begging me to come to Detroit, say that he wanted Joe Montana or Warren Moon, and that the only thing that was missing from the team winning the Super Bowl was a quarterback. A little support from the coach might have gone a long way. Wayne never had my back!!!

So you all know that in 1995 we started the season 0-3. Wayne called a meeting with 15 players and asked what was wrong. The response was, you brought this QB here let him throw the ball. We changed our entire offense over a bye week. We played the defending SB champion 49ers on Monday Night Football after a bye week and with an 0-3 record. We won, I went on to have the fourth best season of a QB, at the time, in NFL history 4400 yds passing and 33 TDs. Two WRs had over 100 catches and a 1,000 yds rec. Barry Sanders also rushed for 1,500 yds. We simply took what the defense was giving us.

Unfortunately, the following year I had a severe injury to my rib cage that required a 12 min shot with a four inch needle just to practice everyday. It turned out to be a bad year and Wayne Fontes was fired. More importantly, Tom Moore was fired as our offensive coordinator and he took the offense we developed to Indy and introduced it to Payton Manning. In return I ended up with Bobby Ross. Which was a disaster!!!

How many SB’s did Joe Montana win after he left the 49ers? Zero. How many SB’s did Warren Moon win or even play in? Zero.

Dan Marino played in 1 SB!!! Payton Manning was horrible in his first 4 years in the playoffs. zero wins and 1TD and 2ints. It was 9 years before Payton won a SB. The reality is it’s hard to win a SB unless you are Tom Brady. Steve Young is not in the Hall of Fame or a SB winner if he isn’t traded from Tampa Bay to the 49ers. Brett Farve is not a Hall of Famer or a SB winner if he is stuck with Jerry Glanville in Atlanta.

Bottom line, #BarrySanders had everything in Detroit. Everyone loved him. Everything was built for Barry to succeed. In his 10 year career he won one playoff game and the only reason he didn’t win more was everyone else was the problem??? How many yards did Barry have in the playoffs in 94,95,97? I’ll give you a hint not very many. We all are to blame for not winning a SB in Detroit even Barry Sanders.

I will believe until I die that had we been given more time and patience with the offense we had and the talent we had we could have made a deep run in the playoffs and competed to win a Super Bowl.

TL;DR (too long didn’t read)

Bottom Line – The Biggest Loser

Scott Mitchell’s attempt to share the blame for the Detroit Lions’ Super Bowl drought, including implicating Barry Sanders, appears more like a personal delusion than a factual assessment. Sanders, revered for his extraordinary talent and contribution to the game, is hardly the one to be faulted for the team’s failures. Mitchell’s perspective, perhaps clouded by personal grievances or a skewed recollection of events, does little justice to the reality of the situation. The fact that Mitchell later appeared on a reality show like “The Biggest Loser” could be seen as symbolic of his career trajectory post-football, where his perspectives and judgments, much like his professional football career, did not align with the high standards set by a legend like Sanders. This misplaced blame seems less about team dynamics and more about an individual’s struggle to come to terms with his own professional limitations.