Firing Millen doesn’t solve problems
-By Mike Moore-
Rejoice.
Let the party begin.
Celebrate, Detroit, for today is a great day. Heck, there’s probably some confetti and cupcakes left over from the other ousting celebration just two weeks ago.
First it was Kwame, now it’s Millen. Two different scenarios, two identical results.
The Lions made what many had been hoping for official Wednesday, firing team president and general manager Matt Millen after more than eight years on the job. This wasn’t a change for change’s sake, as we all too often see in professional sports. No, this was a move long overdue, a move that, in all fairness, could have and should have come three or four years ago.
Better late than never, I guess.
But as the celebrations wind down, and the parties let out, one question must be asked. Are the Lions any better off now than they were 24 hours ago? The answer is an obvious, No.
This was more of a symbolic move than anything. An NFL general manager has little responsibilities once the season begins. Unlike baseball, basketball and hockey, midseason trades are rare and if made, minor.
The same Lions’ team that trotted out to the field and got embarrassed in San Francisco, will do likewise next Sunday against Chicago. (Trot out that is, although another embarrassment isn’t out of the question.)
If the Lions are serious about improving, serious about giving the fans of Detroit what they deserve in a football team, the next firing should be William Ford Sr. An owner who in his 50-plus years with the organization has seen once playoff win and more losing than I care to count.
The only problem, of course, is you can’t fire an owner. That’d be like Donald Trump starring into a mirror and saying, “You’re fired.” (Now that’d be great TV)
What can happen, and should happen, is a complete sweep of the entire organization. Nobody, from executives to coaches to scouts, that was associated with this team in any way, should be back when the 2009 season kicks off.
There’s a long list of replacements for Millen the Lions will entertain in the coming months. Whoever ends up with the job should arrive with plenty of experience, plenty of success to fall back on, and the idea that everything, from top to bottom, will change.
He’ll bring his own coach, his own staff, his own mentality.
It’s sad to think that when Millen arrived in 2001, the Lions were a team just one game from the playoffs, a team that seemed to have some potential for the near future. Now it’s a team that sits with an 0-3 record and no realistic hope of winning more than three of four games this season.
Millen was the man in charge, by title at least, so he takes the fall for the past eight seasons, he takes on the record of 31-84 during that time. Don’t be fooled, though, he had help, sometimes orders in making the decisions he made. That simply can’t be anymore.
Step No. 1 has happened. It was the right step, and a needed step forward. But unless the Lions, or the Ford’s for that matter, sweep the entire staff and start anew, as we’ve seen all too often with this franchise, one step forward will surely be followed with two steps back.
You can reach Mike Moore at mjm12@albion.edu
