It is coming to a point where pretty much every Lions fan and any football fan anywhere is wondering how the hell Matt Millen still has a job. Currently he is 23-71 since taking over a 9-7 team six years ago. It has got to a point where the Lions are an embarrasment to myself and most Lions fans. I honestly can figure out why William Clay Ford, the Lions owner, won't get rid of one constant variable in the dismantling of his NFL franchise. Maybe this is why Ford Motor company has been on a down slide for so long.
Millen has fired three coaches who had time left on their contracts Gary Moeller, Marty Mornhinweg and Steve Mariucci because he thought that's what the Lions needed. He has cut players and signed free agents to improve the Lions. Now he has Rod Marinelli already announcing that Jon FREAKING Kitna is the starter next year as well. A QB like Kitna needs to have a solid team around him like Dilfer had in Baltimore or like Joey Harrington has in Miami. Harringtons numbers are the same if not worse with Miami, but the team has a defense and unity that Detroit does not.
You would think that with a former NFL tough guy like Millen he would know that you win games in the trenches, yet the Lions trenchs are the weakest of them all. He has also cut two of his top draft picks (pick #2 Charles Rogers and Pick #3 overall Joey Harrington) and had discussions on how to release Mike Williams. If they sign Az Hakim one more time I am going to scream. I stopped going to the games when they moved to Ford Field on a gut instinct that they were not moving in the right direction. I was a season ticket holder at the Silverdome and remember when they made the playoffs six times in the 90's.
Michael Rosenberg of Fox Sports and the Detroit Free Press wrote "The Lions have been losers for most of the past half-century. But that doesn't have to last forever. For all their flaws, the Fords exhibit three qualities of the best owners in sports: They are willing to spend money, they rarely meddle in team affairs, and they are patient with the people they hire. If the Fords hired the right person to run their team, all those traits would be wonderful. Unfortunately, the man they hired is Millen. He is tough enough to withstand all this heat, but is he honest enough to admit he built the fire?"
So Matt from the bottom of my heart please and for every Lions fan out there, Do us a favor and fire yourself!!
P.S. William Clay Ford, please consider me for the open postion of team General manager and president intern like the deal Matt Millen got. It seems like the best internship ever considering you don't need any prior experience. I had four fantasy football teams this year and three of four were the number one seed in the playoffs, even though all four lost in the first round.
I guess they hired him because he was a former player, and sounded like he knew what he was talking about on ESPN.
If you go by that logic, the next GM will be either Shaun Salisbury or Linda Cohn.
How about restructuring Millen's contract to pay him a quarter million dollars per win? That would require him to win 10 games per year to maintain the 5 million a year he is being paid. He has no incentive to help his team perform. One thing about Ford Sr., he is loyal. Back from the days that he refused to fire Russ Thomas and his streak of futility. Hell, Thomas had to DIE to lose his job.
How about stealing Dave Dombrowski or Joe Dumars or Ken Holland. At least we know that there would be some sort of palatable plan in place to develop a winning team.
I find it hard to believe I wouldn't be able to win more games accidentally! I mean I could run reverses, throw deep on every play, flea flickers, half back options; all the plays normal coaches rarely run and still win a game or two just because the other team sucks more. How can the Lions win just 23 games in 6 freakin' years? Throw a dart at the draft board and you can get luckier than Millen has been with drafts. What an embarrasment. And the worst part is, I'm too freakin' loyal and dumb to adopt another team.
crokkdnose - dont forget the Hackey sack finishing move
Isiah has done nothing but blow it every where since he has retired from the Pistons. He blew it here right away when he assumed he would be the presidernt after he retired and the Pistons said uhhhh No thanks
When I read the title, I had a feeling where you might be headed with it. Maybe I'm not getting the local coverage like you are, but to me, the strangest part of all this is that Millen never seems to be held accountable for his actions. The fans are screaming for his departure, but he never seems to give any interviews or attempt to explain the idiocy of his decisions. I can understand why he would want to keep a low profile, but with the press the way it is today it's just plain bizarre that nobody has cornered him and made him talk.
Can't remember where exactly right now, but I read a rumor that Millen & WCF were slated to "have a talk" at the end of the season, implying that Millen was going to get fired.
Mr. Intellectual - I think Matt gets a bit of a free pass from the media because he has friends that he may be rejoining at Fox very soon and the fact that there is NO defense for what he has done here.
MCLION- they talk every week about what is going on and they meet at the end of every year, but the rumors are that they are possibly going to part ways this year....FINALLY
As former coach Daryl Rogers said "what does a guy have to do to get fired around here"
Oh and I appreciated the joke about Flint being a place to visit in MI. Are there still jobs there or do you just like living there?
If Flint were to get more job opportunities and companies that would like to invest in the community Michigan would be better for it. Sorry for the serious tangent.
bob .... I can't reiterrate this further but Millen has to have some improper photos of either William Clay Ford in a compromising and illegal act with either a minor or an animal !
Because that's the only reason he's been able to keep his position as GM with the Lions !
That's the bargaining chip he's playing with and he'll run with it for as long as he can !
Flint Michigan -
-bob260505@ya hoo.com-
Three time defending (division 2) four square champion
1993 United States Hacky-Sack Champion (runner up in 92 and 94) - finishing move "the Stall"
MVP of 1986 Whiffleball World Series - WWS was played in the side yard and had longer home runs.
2006 1st place league Champion fantasy baseball, 2003 and 2004 second place in fantasy football, 2003 second place in fantasy baseball and hockey, The last person out in Dodgeball in a record 17 of 22 games played in 1992 and led the gym class with over 175 kills in 92 - 93 (averaged 8.18 kills per game)
bob260505@yah oo.com
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Millen has fired three coaches who had time left on their contracts Gary Moeller, Marty Mornhinweg and Steve Mariucci because he thought that's what the Lions needed. He has cut players and signed free agents to improve the Lions. Now he has Rod Marinelli already announcing that Jon FREAKING Kitna is the starter next year as well. A QB like Kitna needs to have a solid team around him like Dilfer had in Baltimore or like Joey Harrington has in Miami. Harringtons numbers are the same if not worse with Miami, but the team has a defense and unity that Detroit does not.
Michael Rosenberg of Fox Sports and the Detroit Free Press wrote "The Lions have been losers for most of the past half-century. But that doesn't have to last forever. For all their flaws, the Fords exhibit three qualities of the best owners in sports: They are willing to spend money, they rarely meddle in team affairs, and they are patient with the people they hire. If the Fords hired the right person to run their team, all those traits would be wonderful. Unfortunately, the man they hired is Millen. He is tough enough to withstand all this heat, but is he honest enough to admit he built the fire?"
