Millen Takes Blame For State Of Lions During NBC Interview
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Patrick (r) Queries Millen About Stint With
Lions, Responsibility For Franchise's Woes |
Former Lions President & CEO Matt Millen took part in a one-on-one interview with NBC's Dan Patrick during the net's "Football Night In America" pregame show Saturday, and he said he was "completely responsible" for the state of the Lions and their 0-16 record this season. Millen, who will be part of NBC's Super Bowl XLIII coverage team, said, "(I was) head of football operations, you throw it back on me. You can say something about the coaching. You can say something about the players, but inevitably, I'm responsible for them. So I'm completely responsible for it in my mind." When asked if he was "qualified to take that job in the first place," Millen said, "In some areas, yes. In other areas, no. Certainly from a football point of view, in the X's and O's. That's something that you study for a long time and you understand. But there's a whole other side to that job that you have to learn. Frankly, I didn't understand it going in and I had to learn it." Patrick added, "But you made changes. There was no stability there. Why keep changing coaches?" Millen: "Well, you change coaches, because obviously you're not having success. But that's a great point that you make because any organization that's going to have a winning record, it all comes back to, not only stability, but consistency. You have to have consistency in philosophy." Millen added, "Suffice it to say, I could give you the excuses. I'm not going to do that. I can give you explanations. To me, that's just an excuse after the fact. So you take the hit and you move on." When asked if he would have fired himself, Millen said, "Probably not this year until after the season because I think when you start having changeover in an organization, it filters down to the locker room" ("Football Night In America," NBC, 1/3).
STILL NOT ENOUGH: In Detroit, Drew Sharp writes under the header, "Millen Hides Behind Camera." Sharp: "Detroit deserves a detailed explanation for what went so horribly wrong from those who perpetrated the deed. Simply saying that you're responsible for the disaster doesn't make you accountable." Millen Saturday also "sounded subdued, certainly not the gregarious sort that endeared him to television viewers during his days as Fox's No. 2 game analyst." Sharp: "How can anybody watching him not crack up laughing? Millen's 31-84 record (not counting the other 13 losses after his dismissal) as president hardly makes him a credible voice when questioning another team's decision making" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/5). In Michigan, Pat Caputo writes, "It was typical Millen bunkum." Caputo: "I believe if Lions owner William Clay Ford hadn't finally come to his senses about five years too late, and would still let him, Millen would remain as team president" (ROYAL OAK DAILY TRIBUNE, 1/5).
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