Ford says Millen Should be Fired

Lions vice chairman, owner's son, says Millen should leave team

DETROIT -- Bill Ford Jr. has seen enough of the way team president Matt Millen is running his father's Detroit Lions.

The Ford Motor Co. executive chairman spoke to reporters Monday after a Detroit Economic Club meeting. The vice chairman of the Lions said he was disappointed in the team's performance and said fans deserve better.

When asked, Ford said Millen should leave the team, but he didn't have the authority to make such a significant change.

His father, William Clay Ford, is the owner and chairman of the franchise.

The Lions are 0-3 this season and an NFL-worst 31-84 since hiring Millen, who won Super Bowls as a linebacker and was an acclaimed TV analyst but had no front-office experience when he was hired in Detroit.

Bill Ford Jr.: I'd fire Millen if I ran the Lions

Detroit Lions vice chairman Bill Ford Jr., at a Detroit Economic Club event Monday, had this to say in response to a reporter’s question about the Lions game on Sunday:

“It was an embarrassment, the fans deserve better, and if I had the authority, I would have fired the general manager,” Matt Millen, Ford said.

When asked again a few minutes later if he would fire Millen, he said, “Yes, but I don’t have that authority.”

The Lions are 0-3. Their latest loss was a 31-13 defeat at San Francisco.

Too bad the other Ford gets the final say

catbox_9 wrote:

Too bad the other Ford gets the final say

And Millen gets to stay!

Millen will resign this week i think.

swiss_tiger wrote:

Millen will resign this week i think.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Bob Wojnowski
Wojo: Ford Jr. is right, Millen should walk away from Lions

ALLEN PARK -- Frustration is growing and bubbling, from furious fans to the owner's family. The Lions are careening toward historic humiliation -- sure, 0-16 is possible -- and there's no visible way to stop it. In fact, there's only one way to slow it.

Lions President and General Manager Matt Millen should do the honorable thing and walk away, today, tomorrow, soon. We can rant all we want about the coach and the quarterback and the defensive coordinator, but Millen delivered the bulk of this garbage. Owner William Clay Ford Sr. has been too loyal (or gutless) to fire him, so Millen should resign, for the good of all involved.

The owner's son, Bill Ford Jr., made precisely that suggestion Monday after speaking at the Detroit Economic Club. I echo the plea, and I guarantee almost every Lions fan does as well.

"It's embarrassing," Ford Jr. said. "The fans deserve better, and if I had the authority, I'd fire the general manager."

Asked again if he thought Millen should leave, Ford Jr. said, "Yes I do."

It's painfully, brutally obvious.

It's also clear there's an unfortunate disconnect between the owner and his son, which doesn't help.

Millen must be accountable

Nothing can move forward with this team until the main guy is held accountable. The Lions are paralyzed and poisoned by Millen's presence, by his stunning incompetence, and he has to know it. How can he demand accountability of anyone when Rod Marinelli is the fourth head coach he has appointed, when the Lions' 31-84 record since 2001 is all on Millen?

I have no idea why Millen feels compelled to keep trying, to keep putting the franchise and fans through this. I have no idea why he puts himself through this. A no-quit attitude might be noble -- and it keeps the $5-million salary coming -- but it's astonishing Ford Sr. allows it to continue.

Is there no common sense or simple shame? Millen is an affable guy who came here with good intentions, but this is a national joke that keeps repeating itself, one of the saddest, most-baffling situations in Detroit sports history.

The Lions are 0-3, have been outscored 113-59, and yet we know it can get worse. This is not a young team that needs time to improve. According to NFL rosters, the Lions are the fourth-oldest team in the league, directed by a 36-year-old quarterback, Jon Kitna, who looks lost.

There are precious few stars and little hope. The defense is horrible and the offense can't take advantage of good receivers who aren't consistent. Nothing is working, and the schedule only gets tougher.

The truth is, I don't even know if player or coach demotions would help because the roster is barren. Marinelli said Monday he wouldn't make any changes to his staff and he'd use the bye week to evaluate personnel.

There are no easy fixes

This mess is bigger than the head coach, although that's no excuse. Marinelli isn't developing players (supposedly a strength of his), isn't generating a pass rush (supposedly a strength) and fields the league's worst defense. There's no discernible evidence he's a decent head coach. It's all words, and we're sick of words.

This mess is bigger than the quarterback too, although that's no excuse. I'd give Kitna, who's nursing a sore knee, one more start, at home against the Bears after the bye. That's it. A loss and he's out, and young Drew Stanton is in. Yes, it would be an admission the season is over, but it's less an admission than confirmation.

This mess is bigger than the defensive and offensive coordinators, but that's no excuse. Joe Barry and Jim Colletto are failing, and their jobs should be on the line. They have little talent to work with but are doing little creatively to compensate.

For a guy who loves consistency and order, Marinelli has to be staggered. He's 10-25 in his third season, and when asked Monday if he might lose the attention of his players, he was blunt.

"That can happen throughout the league, throughout business, throughout anything," he said. "It's my job to steer the ship, be truthful to them, show them where we can get better. I don't feel (them wavering), but I'm not with them every second of every day. It's human nature to doubt when you're 0-3."

There's not much more Marinelli can say, and there aren't many moves he can make. He knows Kitna is shaken but he has unproven quarterbacks backing him up. He has to know his defense is loaded with holes, although he won't admit it.

Personnel decisions suspect

It's mostly on Millen, but Marinelli bears more and more responsibility for the roster, partly because of his ridiculous obsession with guys he coached in Tampa. The Lions have seven former Tampa Bay players and only Dewayne White has made an impact.

Marinelli and Millen collaborated on the latest draft and it could turn into another disaster. None of the four players selected on defense -- Jordon Dizon, Andre Fluellen, Cliff Avril, Landon Cohen -- even played in the 31-13 loss to San Francisco, although Dizon was injured.

The shame is spreading, and you can only hope Millen feels it. At halftime of Sunday's Fox broadcast, former Giants star Michael Strahan said the Lions lacked heart, then added, "They don't want to play."

Naturally, Marinelli disagreed, saying the team has played tight. But I'm sorry, there are no new answers and no positive signs. The Lions aren't good enough to be remotely competitive right now and that's a damning indictment of the guy most responsible, the guy who has been here the past eight horrific years.

Only one question matters anymore, and I'll ask it again: When is Matt Millen leaving?

Until it's answered, the Lions' future will be painfully predictable, as bleak as ever.

You can reach Bob Wojnowski at bob.wojnowski@detnews.com

Quote :

the Lions' 31-84 record since 2001

Here's how bad Millen is....
First 7 seasons with Millen: 31-81
Previous 7 seasons before Millen: 55-57

Playoff appearances under Millen: 0
Playoff appearances in the 7 years before Millen: 5

Winning seasons under Millen: 0
Winning seasons in 7 years prior: 3 (and one 8-8 season)

Division championships under Millen: 0
Division championships in 7 years prior: 1

Best record under Millen: 7-9
Best record in 7 years prior: 10-6

10 loss seasons under Millen: 6 (in 7 years)
10 loss seasons without Millen: 12 (in 71 years)

The bright side? If you go back 8 years the Lions were 5-11 that season. Millen's 8th season could still go 5-11 (although that would be very tough). Since Millen will probably be back for a 9th season, he's got a ton of work to do - the season prior to that 5-11 season the Lions were 12-4 and won a playoff game.

Lions could still make the playoffs in 2008

Season ain't over

13 games left!

gs78 wrote:

Lions could still make the playoffs in 2008

:haha: : :lol:

They've got a bye this week - they'll probably lose that!

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

Lions could still make the playoffs in 2008

:haha: : :lol:

They've got a bye this week - they'll probably lose that!

I'm not saying they will

But they only played three games.

Still 13 left in the season.

Nor will the Lions go 0-16.

Too much parity in the NFL

Dolphins damn near went 0-16 last year...they would have if the Ravens didn't totally up late in that game. Lions, Rams, and Chiefs all have a great shot at 0-16. Chiefs still get the Raiders once more - that'll be tough.

catbox_9 wrote:

Dolphins damn near went 0-16 last year...they would have if the Ravens didn't totally up late in that game. Lions, Rams, and Chiefs all have a great shot at 0-16. Chiefs still get the Raiders once more - that'll be tough.

Too early to be talking 0-16 or 16-0


When a team is 0-10 or 10-0

Then it becomes an issue

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

Dolphins damn near went 0-16 last year...they would have if the Ravens didn't totally up late in that game. Lions, Rams, and Chiefs all have a great shot at 0-16. Chiefs still get the Raiders once more - that'll be tough.

Too early to be talking 0-16 or 16-0


When a team is 0-10 or 10-0

Then it becomes an issue

True. Then again the first 3 games are just as important in a perfect (or anti-perfect) season as the other 3. It's like baseball....while very few people think about perfect games after the first 3 innings, you have to be perfect those first 3 innings in order to get a perfect game. If you give up a couple hits in the first 3 innings but retire the last 18 batters, nobody will care or remember.

Personally, I really start thinking about it at 8-0 or 0-8 and get close to thinking about it at 6-0 or 0-6.

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

Dolphins damn near went 0-16 last year...they would have if the Ravens didn't totally up late in that game. Lions, Rams, and Chiefs all have a great shot at 0-16. Chiefs still get the Raiders once more - that'll be tough.

Too early to be talking 0-16 or 16-0


When a team is 0-10 or 10-0

Then it becomes an issue

True. Then again the first 3 games are just as important in a perfect (or anti-perfect) season as the other 3. It's like baseball....while very few people think about perfect games after the first 3 innings, you have to be perfect those first 3 innings in order to get a perfect game. If you give up a couple hits in the first 3 innings but retire the last 18 batters, nobody will care or remember.

Personally, I really start thinking about it at 8-0 or 0-8 and get close to thinking about it at 6-0 or 0-6.

I think about it, too

Especially after last season


I would love to see 0-16 or 19-0

And if the Lions are 0-15

I hope they lose 16

gs78 wrote:

And if the Lions are 0-15

I hope they lose 16

I'm not sure what I'd do. I mean all my life I've wanted 16-0 (actually 19-0, but 16-0 was nice, too) and 0-16. I'm not sure I want the Lions to be that pathetic 0-16 team though. As bad as they've been they've never lost 15 games.

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

And if the Lions are 0-15

I hope they lose 16

I'm not sure what I'd do. I mean all my life I've wanted 16-0 (actually 19-0, but 16-0 was nice, too) and 0-16. I'm not sure I want the Lions to be that pathetic 0-16 team though. As bad as they've been they've never lost 15 games.

But the Lions would be infamous!



NOT

Just Joking

I could never root against them


Even if they suck beyond belief

Same goes for the Tigers, Wings and Pistons

Losing sucks!

Sometimes it's fun to be a masochist with them though. I mean when they're down 21-0 in the first quarter you can't help but go "we could lose this 84-0!" and almost cheer to see how bad they can lose. I mean they're my favorite team and I've been rooting for them like an idiot my whole life, but I know better to expect anything out of them and I'm so used to them being the laughing stock of the league that I can almost enjoy watching them make fools out of themselves.

catbox_9 wrote:

Sometimes it's fun to be a masochist with them though. I mean when they're down 21-0 in the first quarter you can't help but go "we could lose this 84-0!" and almost cheer to see how bad they can lose. I mean they're my favorite team and I've been rooting for them like an idiot my whole life, but I know better to expect anything out of them and I'm so used to them being the laughing stock of the league that I can almost enjoy watching them make fools out of themselves.

What would we do if they ever won it all?

Detroit would go crazy if the Lions won a Super Bowl

I've dreamed about that for a long time. Sadly they've never come close since I can remember. I have very vague memories of them getting killed in the playoffs, but that's been so long I can barely even remember that.

catbox_9 wrote:

I've dreamed about that for a long time. Sadly they've never come close since I can remember. I have very vague memories of them getting killed in the playoffs, but that's been so long I can barely even remember that.

1 playoff win since 1957!