ESPN, Norby, and Millen on Michigan games
Hat tip to SB Nation Detroit for the original pull
From Richard Deitsch's Media Circus column in SI.com
SI.com: Matt Millen was assigned to the Big Ten this season and did a number of Michigan games. As someone who lived in Ann Arbor in 2009 and has contact with a ton of Michigan alums, there are a huge majority of people in the state who do not like hearing him on those games, rightly or wrongly. Social media backs such sentiment up given Millen is obliterated on Twitter during games he calls. Why would you assign a guy to call games in an area when he is so intensely disliked?
ESPN.com's Norby Williamson: You are making the leap that Michigan fans don't want Matt Millen there and maybe it's not much of a leap. I will tell you that Matt Millen with Kirk Herbstreit and Todd Blackledge, with no disrespect to any of our other college football analysts, they are on our top three teams at the moment. I don't know the breakdown of how many Big Ten games Matt did but he and Sean McDonough work that 3:30 p.m. window on ABC. I'm not sitting here saying "Wow, we have a Michigan game so let's stick it to Michigan fans." That's not what we want to do. We want everyone to enjoy their team and to be passionate about it.
At the same point, we are doing a regional and sometimes national telecast and I have to put the best people on the best games to get the best dissection of analysis and perspective on those games. That's my job. My job is not to aggravate any fan bases. Ultimately, you have to look at the bigger decision. You put the best people in the best opportunity to succeed. I don't really get [the] Michigan football connection with Matt. I get the Lions. But I get that it's clearly an issue among some fans in that area. The extent of the issue is the question.
Right, because there's no possible way that Michigan fans, some of whom live in the state of Michigan, might also have an interest in their local professional football franchise as well. Right...
January 17th, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
is an easy way of avoiding work. everyone does it.
"won't that data piece you left out change the results and force you to redo that entire project?"
"i get that there's an issue with the data. the extent of the issue is the question. let's just keep it as it is."
January 17th, 2011 at 11:43 AM ^
Does Norby Williamson also work for the B1G? I am sure he is ok with the names of the divisions as well. Probably thinks they are fabulous.
Matt Millen is a chump and brings absolutely no intelligence to broadcasting. I think Spielman is way better. Although he hasn't performed an epic proportion of fail to make his name as big as Millen's.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
Matt Millen is a chump and brings absolutely no intelligence to broadcasting.
Seriously?
January 17th, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^
Seriously.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^
Serious question. Who is better: Millen or Pam Ward? The thought of either of them makes me cringe.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:32 PM ^
Forget overall competence for a moment. Whenever I hear Pam's voice I'm reminded of what a corporatized, focus-grouped, and pu$$ified world we have. In a logically ordered universe she'd be doing WNBA games for some obscure radio station.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:45 PM ^
I don't like Matt Millen, but I will take him over Pam Ward 100 times out of 100 in broadcasting a Michigan game.
If they both end up on the game, off goes the sound.
Good news for Pam though: she will again be able to obsess over Michigan's time of possession on every fucking play. It took her two years to figure out that RR's spread snapped the ball with 20 seconds left on the play clock and that the TOP stats were out the window.
January 17th, 2011 at 3:20 PM ^
Millen is a boob: he is the worst GM ever, and I will never forgive him for drafting drew stanton over David Harris and Lamarr Woodley. However, he is at least knowledgeable about the game. Pam Ward is just awful, she has no redeeming qualities. She is the worst announcer on any network for any sport. I would rather have "Boom Goes the Dynamite" Guy cover every televised UM football game for the rest of my life than have to listen to Pam Ward call one more game.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:43 AM ^
Lay off Millen. Yes, he was an abomination as GM of the Lions, but for the most part he's a pretty solid analyst and was a hell of a football player. He knows more about the game than any of us will likely ever learn. You'd swear people in Detroit would blame him for gas prices if they could.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^
Agreed. I think he does a pretty decent job, especially compared to what we typically get with the B1G's own network
January 17th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^
I just feel like Lions fans are perplexed as to how ESPN could honor Millen's college football knowledge, when he proved himself to be one of the worst GM's in history at evaluating college football players. There was a funny quote by Brian Billick during one of the Lions' Fox Broadcasts earlier this year when he said, "What the management here in Detroit did over the last 8 years...that borders on criminal." Whenever I hear Matt Millen talk up a player and his pro protential...I picture GM's across the league agreeing to stay as far away from that player as possible.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:35 PM ^
the issue (IMHE).
If Millen "really knows the game" and is a "great analyst," how come that knowledge didn't translate into success as a GM, or even average competence?
By any measure, he was a staggering failure as a GM, which makes me question how much he could possibly know about the game.
January 17th, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^
If you read articles pertaining to draft grades and what not, the Lions were usually somewhere around the top. I remember the Williams/Jones draft with many people saying they had gotten the best WR and RB in the entire draft. Same went with Rogers. I actually think he was overly concerned with solely talent and not worried enough about character because the lack of it is what killed a lot of his picks' careers.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:48 AM ^
None of what you just said matters. The simple fact remains that when people in this region see that Millen is the "analyst" for the game it goes over as well as a fart in church. So then, the question remains, why continue to put him on games involving a fanbase that detests Millen?
January 17th, 2011 at 11:50 AM ^
I never followed the Lions, and their record of failure to me is like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. Like the Cubs, without any of the fun. Whatever Millen did to the Lions, I'm no expert. It just doesn't matter to me.
But he's an awful analyst. He's dumb. He's not articulate. He seems, to me anwyay, to not be very well informed on CFB news. That's why I don't like Millen. It's because he sucks and it's painful to hear the audio of games he's broadcasting.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^
I agree as well, he also provided me with more laughs by what he said than any other analyst did this past year.
He sometimes dropped some GOLD one liners during games
January 17th, 2011 at 12:27 PM ^
A "pretty solid analyst"? If the job of an analyst is to entertain, maybe.. if the job of an analyst is to provide insight into what it would take for some of these kids to excel at the next level, he obviously has no clue. After 7 years of his draft choices the Lions were, by a mile, the most talent less team in the league, maybe the most talentless team the league has ever seen. So when Matt, tells his viewing audience, "That yong man has the skills that will make him a star in the NFL", who out there (besides you evidently) is going to put any stock into his opinion? It is worthless, less than worthless and I don't care if he could play football, the man has nothing of inteligence to further my understanding of the game at the college level or the next, and I would just assume listen to someone else who I can at least believe knows what the hell they are talking about.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:44 AM ^
You're missing a major point in your analysis: not everyone in Michigan is a Lions fan. Not even close. People in the UP are predominantly Green Bay or Minnesota fans and a large percentage of the population on the west side of the state are Chicago fans. Add to that the large percentage of Michigan fans who aren't even from Michigan and almost certainly aren't Lions fans. Those sizeable components of the Michigan fanbase could care less about the Millen/Lions issue and just want competent broadcasting.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
I'll say it: Crosby is easily the best player in hockey right now
January 17th, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^
I don't know if he is easily the best, but he is certainly up there right now. I think it's between him and Lidstrom.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^
I've got to be honest here, as much as I love Lidstrom and everything he's done for the Wings, in no way is he one of the top two players in the entire league right now. He's a top 3 defenseman, but I'd put guys like Ovechkin and Stamkos ahead of Lidstrom, and maybe even a guy like Doughty in LA.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:45 AM ^
and am a casual fan and I don't mind Millen doing the Michigan games. Sure, he did screw up the Lions' franchise, but I really don't care about that when he's adding color to Michigan games. As much as he sucked as a GM, he's quite good in the booth. Would you rather have Pam Ward?
January 17th, 2011 at 11:52 AM ^
Last I checked, Mornhinweg was rumored as a candidate for multiple open HC positions this year and Marinelli is one of the reasons why Chicago has found a resurgence defensively.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^
Last I checked Millen hired them both as HEAD coach in Detroit and they were a combined 15-65. Including the first EVER 0-16 team, coached by... yes, the best coach Matt millen has ever been around.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^
To be fair to Coach Marinara, Millen didn't give him much more than a team of WRs.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^
To be fair to Millen, he likely wasn't given a choice by ownership in who to draft either. That's why the Lions have been perenially bad before and after Millen.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:32 PM ^
Bite your tongue. I have hope after seeing them finish on a four game winning streak. I believe in the power of Schwartz! Get a reliable backup QB for Stafford's ever liable shoulder and a couple of OL worth their weight in salt and Detroit has a high caliber team.
January 17th, 2011 at 4:55 PM ^
know about being high caliber.
Defense: The defensive line is one of the best bar none. Linebackers are mediocre, secondary needs help.
Offense: Glass QB, Stable of meh RBs, decent WRs, and OL needs a bunch of work.
The 4 game winning streak is a good sign. But outside of TB (who overachieved all year), they beat a bad Minnesota team, a bad Miami team, and a GB team with Matt Flynn and a roster held together with bubblegum and used tape. Now that is definatly a improvement, but lets hold off on "high caliber".
January 17th, 2011 at 5:54 PM ^
I guess I meant high caliber in context of what they normaly are. Pathetic. Fix that OL up and our glass QB and meh RBs might look improved. It is the line that makes backs look good.
Detroit of two or three years ago wouldn't even be able to beat teams with issues as you stated above. I see it as an improvement. Momentum is a hell of a drug.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:37 PM ^
The eight years before Millen the lions were a combined 65-63 (.508 win %) During 31-97 (.242) and After 8-24 (.250).
So, yeah, you clearly know what you are talking about.
January 17th, 2011 at 1:19 PM ^
Yeah because .500 football is so excellent. The franchise has won ONE playoff game since 1957. If they weren't fortunate enough to have drafted the greatest running back (and arguably the greatest player) of all time they would have struggled for the relative success they had in the 90s. That's OK though, don't forget to blame Millen when your printer jams at work today.
January 17th, 2011 at 2:06 PM ^
Who said anything about .500 being excellent? And who said anything about my printer? Your response is almost totally nonsensical. Millen is responsible for one thing.. Giving the lions the WORST 8 year stretch of futility in the history of pro football. That's not, since the merger or in recent memory.. that is EVER. You are what your record says you are. And Millen is the BIGGEST loser EVER. Why is that so hard for you to grasp? He was less than half as good as a mediocre Franchise was through generation after generation. You said it yourself, the lions are bad, have always been bad.. so if someone is 200%+ as bad as that?? Isn't that worthy of some ridicule and isn't that worthy of some distrust of this man's football knowledge?
January 17th, 2011 at 2:36 PM ^
A. I never said Millen was good. He was not good.
B. That being said, making it sound like he's solely responsible for what went on during those eight years is ridiculous. Players he drafted in Detroit have moved on and played good ball for other teams, and coaches that he hired during his tenure here and gone other places and found great success. One was at least partially responsible for the Vick rejuvenation and another leads a top defense that will host the NFC championship game next week.
C. Most of the blame should fall with ownership, who is just as responsible if not more than a general manager.
D. And also, as a poster down below mentioned, it's possible that Millen isn't even the worst GM in Lions history with Russ Thomas flinging poop around in the 1960s.
E. Most importantly, being a bad GM should not translate into a distrust of his football knowledge. It translates into a distrust of his ability to be the general manager of a NFL franchise.
January 17th, 2011 at 3:03 PM ^
To be fair to Millen
Don't bother.
January 17th, 2011 at 1:45 PM ^
and actually calling some of them wide receivers may be a bit generous
January 17th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
Look man, Millen may have run the Lions into the ground, but believe it or not, he actually knows the game of football really well. I enjoy him and McDonough as a combo and don't mind at all hearing them do the games. I don't like Pam Ward, though. She needs to be taken off the air.
Granted, I'm also a Browns fan, so the whole Millen thing is lost on me.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
I don't really get [the] Michigan football connection with Matt. I get the Lions. But I get that it's clearly an issue among some fans in that area. The extent of the issue is the question.
Seriously? What don't you get? Really, Is it possible, NORBY, that individuals who watch College Football and support the University of Michigan Football team; a team that hails from a city that is relatively close to Detroit..........is it possible that they may also watch NFL football and support the franchise that is located close by and in that same State???? Wow, what a concept that Michigan fans may also be Lions fans. Who knew? /s
January 17th, 2011 at 12:26 PM ^
I don't have a statistic to back this up, but I'd be willing to bet that less than 50% of Michigan fans are Lions fans. With that in mind, his statement about "not getting it" is much more reasonable.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:48 AM ^
MSU fans also hated Millen.
A lot of Michigan born Michigan and MSU fans are also fans of the Lions (or still cheer for them in some aspect).
Williamson is sticking Michigan fans with this and that's BS.
Millen drove the Lions into the ground, all Lions fans hate him, whether they are Michigan/MSU/CMU/WMU/etc fans. He is hated equally.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:48 AM ^
...Michigan isn't relegated to ESPNU or BTN overflow channels.
/Alumnus residing in ACC country.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:54 AM ^
Get over the Millen hate crap. Yes, he sucked as a GM. I have friends who hate Millen and continue to hate him commentate. I have watched games with them and they don't even say anything about how bad he is until they actually say he is announcing or show his face in the booth. Once that happens, he is the worst commentator on earth.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:16 PM ^
Setting aside my personal hate for what Millen did to the Lions, the problem with him calling ANY college game is that his main failure as an NFL exec was his complete inability to identify NFL talent. So, when he's calling a college game and (constantly) talking about someone's pro potential, it's just a reminder that the guy is inept.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:28 PM ^
Couple your observation with the fact that Millen's broadcasting portfolio currently includes college games and NFL games. I am not an expert in broadcasting, but it would seem that the best color analysts have just one or the other. (Not that only doing one automatically makes you a good analyst...looking at you Craig James.)
In my mind, as troubling as anything in that snippet was that Norby listed Millen in his top three of ESPN college analysts after Herbie and Blackledge (which, admittedly, I agree, that's the top two.) Millen can do a nice job, from time to time, but then other times, wow.
I also wonder if Millen wants to be doing the college games? He seems happier and more lively on the NFL side, but if you're working for ESPN, you can't do color since they only have one game a week. So he does the NFL Network games, and he seems to bring more passion to that.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:35 PM ^
That's probably true. My guess is that there is something in his contract with ABC/ESPN that doesn't let him do non-ABC/ESPN NFL games (but does let him do games broadcast solely on NFL Network) and that he's just biding his time until he can get back in with CBS or Fox for NFL games. That way, ABC/ESPN keeps his non-ABC/ESPN uses very limited, but not completely exclusive; similarly to how Gary Thorne is able to do non-ABC/ESPN hockey games broadcast solely on NHL Network.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:55 PM ^
I should note, by the way, I don't disagree with your idea that the Venn overlap of "Michigan fan" and "Lions fan" is probably somewhere in the 40%-50% range. But when I read this, my first blush take was that Norby was unwilling to acknowledge that that group might feel some antipathy toward Mr. Millen. It's not an out and out conflict of interest like potentially having Craig James call the Texas Tech game last year during affaire d'Leach.