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One thing you can count on with the Detroit Lions is that they are never, ever boring. Follow the latest news including injuries, roster moves and more here daily from Oakland Press beat writer Paula Pasche. Plus you'll find regular commentary about the team.

6/18/2009

Millen gives himself too much credit, as usual

Did you see the latest report about Matt Millen's return to the broadcast booth? Check out what Matt Millen told SI.com and then ask yourself, "Can you honestly watch a game Millen is broadcasting with the sound on?

Here's a sample of what Millen had to say on SI.com:

"I don't go backwards. I just don't think like that. There's nothing I can do about [Detroit]. All I can do is from here on out. I understand. In Detroit, they need a bad guy. I was a bad guy. I was to blame for the fall of the auto industry and the housing market. Somehow, I had something to do with [Detroit mayor] Kwame Kilpatrick [resigning], although I'm not sure what. But that's what happens when you lose in this game. You give everyone a cheap and easy story to jump on.''

Once again, as he did time and time again in front of owner William Clay ford, Matt Millen is giving himself far too much credit for the tough times facing Detroit. As much as we'd like to pile on Millen for Detroit's other shortfalls, we'll settle with running him out of town abd letting him take credit for just one mistake -- the Lions.

Millen was 66 games under .500 (31-97) during his eight years as team president and general manager of the Lions. His talent for blown first-round draft choices such as Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers and Mike Williams left holes the Lions are still trying to fill.

Millen has a right to move on. The NFL Network should have the right to hire whoever it sees fit to analyze what's going on around the league.

If Millen, or the NFL Network, expects any Lions fan to take anything he has to say in the near future with an ounce of respect, both are out of their mind.

Millen took a franchise that posted a 9-7 record and barely missed the playoffs the year he arrived and turned it into an 0-16 laughing stock.

And, now, the minute he's more than a stone's throw away, Millen is cracking jokes about a city and a fan base who stuck with him longer than any other city would have been willing to stomach.

Take a hike, Matt. Every time the NFL Network puts your mug on the scene to offer your expert opinion, the network should run a scroll under your name just like WDIV did during the playoffs on NBC: "31-97 record as GM of the Detroit Lions."

The offseason moves by the Lions have already made this team stronger than the one Millen left behind. There's hope. There's a new coaching staff and a mix of new talent with draft picks Matt Stafford and free agent signees Larry Foote and Jon Jansen to build on.

In time, the sting of Matt Millen will be a distant memory. For now, however, don't take the bait. Let Millen crack a few jokes and think of himself as a man among men. We here in Detroit know better.

3 Comments:

Blogger Jesse said...

Current and damn accurate. Good read.

8:09 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Millen best never come back to Michigan.

12:38 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm a long suffering Lions fan (as is everybody who will read this) from the Detroit area living in Seattle now. I was so angry about Millen at the Superbowl, I got madder when ESPN hired him, and now I'm beside myself. Who are these idiots in charge hiring this idiot? Millen should go to a Buddhist monastery perched high in the Himalayas to ponder the suffering he caused. He should not return until the year after the Lions win the Superbowl.

8:56 PM 

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