Because they had already had the face to face meeting with Caldwell at Allan Park where he met Stafford and Bill Ford Jr. They did not need to bring Caldwell back to Allan Park to do that again, they could conduct interview #2 with Caldwell anywhere.

Wisenhunt, on the other hand, was interviewed in San Diego. Stafford, and Bill Ford Jr. were not present. The Lions had the plane prepared to go get Wisenhunt so that he could come to Allan Park and meet Stafford and Bill Jr.

And people call me a conspiracy theorist!!!!!!!!!!!!

I posted this elsewhere. People make too much out of not getting Coach A and having to settle for Coach B. In the real world this happens all the time. I look at it as a choice between super models or bottles of single malt. Sure I might have wanted a Glenmorangie but all they had was Oban. Either way I am getting one excellent glass of comfort and joy.

The phone calls from Dungy, Peyton, etc.. were part of the background check. You call around to other people in the league and get their opinion on them. Zimmer has been the victim of this, because many believe he's an excellent coordinator and would make a great coach, but he might be too harsh for some sensitive players in a locker room. We'll see if that had any merit the last decade or so this season in Minnesota.

And yes, Caldwell met everyone when he came here to visit. The interview with Whiz was done in San Diego and didn't include the Fords, so there needed to be a second. So of course you have the plane ready when he's scheduled to come meet. But between the scheduling and the actual meeting, Tennessee made an offer that is looking more and more like containing things we weren't going to offer, so ce la vie.

What's done is done. No use arguing about how and why it happened.....it happened. Caldwell is the new HC, and will be for probably the next 4-5 years.

Time to move on.

I hate the hire, first time in a long time that I really could care less for the season to start. I've started the 4 year countdown until we hire the next coach and start the "rebuild". It's a shame too, we have so much talent. Hope I'm wrong, but I think we will all see pretty quickly that Caldwell is in over his head.

who would you have hired?

hey, they could have hired josh mcdaniels, wouldnt that have been just magnificent........