Wayne Fontes' timing could not have been much better for his visit to the Detroit Lions in Tampa Sunday.
December was his time of year, and the time of year for his teams in his eight seasons as head coach of the Lions. It was also his time to deal with speculation about his job security. He handled it all in distinctive style – a flick of his cigar, a crack or two, and then rallying the players to make a playoff run and save his job.
Fontes was in a good mood as he made the rounds at Raymond James Stadium on a day when the Lions escaped with a 24-21 victory over the Tampa Bay Bucs.