Guess what! He IS fired

Matt Millen out as Lions CEO
By GEORGE SIPPLE • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • September 24, 2008

Matt Millen's highly criticized and unproductive tenure with the Lions has ended.

Millen has been the president and CEO since January 2001. Reports have swirled since late morning that he was no longer with the team. The Free Press has confirmed his departure with a person who has spoken with a high-ranking team official.
For several hours today, a small army of media have been waiting at the team's Allen Park headquarters for word of any kind. Shortly after noon, William Clay Ford Sr. arrived at the facility. It was not immediately clear when an announcement would be forthcoming.

Millen was informed of the move last night during a late-night high-level meeting. This morning several people within the building confirmed that he had large packing boxes in his office, according to reports. ESPN's Chris Mortensen confirmed the story through Matt Millen's wife, Patty.

Shortly after noon today a car carrying team owner William Clay Ford, Sr., pulled into the team's Allen Park facility. It was not immediately clear whether there would be an announcement forthcoming.

It's unclear whether Millen was fired or removed himself from the equation, but the news comes just days after Bill Ford Jr. publicly stated he would have fired Millen if it were his decision but he lacked the authority to do so. The authority rested with his father, who has been the sole owner of the Lions since 1964.


Phone messages left for Millen, head coach Rod Marinelli and other team officials were not returned.
First reports came from unnamed sources by FoxSports.com, WDFN-AM (1130) and ESPN. Reporter Chris Mortensen of ESPN said he confirmed the departure with Millen's wife, Patty.

The Lions' 0-3 start this season stirred the groundswell for Millen's apparent demise. The Lions have won only one playoff game during Ford's tenure and are an NFL-worst 31-84 since Millen took over in 2001. Millen has gone through three head coaches, none of whom have been able to turn the Lions into a winner.


Although as of late morning no official word had come from the Lions regarding Millen, reports of his firing had fans excited.


People were driving past the team's headquarters, honking horns and cheering. One man in a pickup yelled, "Finally!” as he drove past the entrance.


Offensive guard Edwin Mulitalo, who was entering the facility to work out, said he hadn't heard anything about Millen's firing.


"I don't know," he said. "I just had a baby. This is my first time out of the hospital."
Mulitalo said he respects Millen. "Of course, I respect him in a lot of different ways," he said. "He was a former player and just the title that he had. As a professional, you respect that."

Was Millen's firing necessary after the team's 0-3 start?

"I don't think so," Mulitalo said. "That's what a lot of the media says, but whenever something like this happens … definitely it's tough."

laprimamirala wrote:

Was Millen's firing necessary after the team's 0-3 start?

"I don't think so," Mulitalo said. "That's what a lot of the media says, but whenever something like this happens … definitely it's tough."

Fire him, too!

It's about damn time

Now if Illich had the balls to fire Dombroski!

Maybe the Lions can win their first game now.

DREW SHARP
Millen a good start; now Ford must go

By DREW SHARP • FREE PRESS SPORTS COLUMNIST • September 24, 2008

The City of Detroit should erect a statue to Bill Ford Jr. for finally liberating the imprisoned.

Matt Millen is finally gone because the Lions’ vice chairman took his long held private complaints public, finally embarrassing his father into taking long overdue action. It’s too bad that Ford Jr.’s frustration over Ford Sr.’s unflagging support boiled over into a football family feud, but it achieved the desired objective.

His father listened — finally.

His father caved to common sense — finally.

But it can’t stop here. If Bill Ford Sr. has truly swallowed the stubbornness that has dictated his 44 years of sole ownership, then he should understand his son is ready to assume control of the daily operations.

It’s time for Bill Sr. to retire.

Bill Jr. emerges from the mind-numbing speed of the past few days as the lone credible voice within the organization. He won over the equally outraged fan base Monday when he openly called out his father’s judgment. He asserted his power within the upper branches of the Lions’ hierarchy when he basically orchestrated Millen’s departure Tuesday night. He now must oversee the search for Millen’s replacement or nobody will trust the integrity of the process.

Bill Jr. effectively wrested control away from his father with the events of the past few days.

His father should just make the transition official.

The Lions have a genuine opportunity for truly changing their organizational culture. But it’ll only work if the Fords worry less about maintaining friendships and more about demanding excellence on the field.

Enough with surrounding themselves with sycophants!

If there’s any chance at building upon the hope that Millen’s ouster created, the day of the management boot licker must die along with Millen’s reign.

Their first move should be calling Bill Cowher and gauging his interest in returning to the coaching sidelines following a two-year television sabbatical. Give him a blank check and give him the authority to hire his own personnel director who would oversee the scouting department.

If Cowher isn’t interested, the Lions should approach the NFL and ask it serve as basically a headhunting service, identifying the names of strong front executives. And then they must give that person full autonomy in firing all the dead weight in every facet of this organization. There can no caveats like keeping those who’ve become close family friends.

The latter goes against the Ford philosophy — with both father and son.

But Bill Jr.’s shrewd and inevitably successful calculations this week revealed a potential willingness to try a new approach. Bill Jr.’s actions reflected somebody who simply isn’t satisfied with merely wanting to win. He’s acting like somebody who needs to win.

That’s what separates the championship owner from simply the profitable one.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Now if Illich had the balls to fire Dombroski!

And

No More Millen

But no wins yet