Matt Millen will now try to ruin college football
Interesting article this morning on USA Today's site about recent moves in ESPN's college football personnel... just when I was feeling good about Maguire taking a back seat, they sneak in that little paragraph about Millen. Read here:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2009-06-28-paul-ma…
starting with, "Back when I was with Detroit..."; and mean it as if he's speaking from knowledgeable experience?
there is nothing wrong with unintentional comedy
Millen was actually a pretty good color-guy before the Lions hired him as a GM. He'll probably be pretty good at this.
Yes, but that was back when he had credibility. I imagine he no longer has any, in many people's minds. (mostly just southeastern Michigan, though)
I like Paul Maguire, especially when they put him with Musburger. It's like watching football in a dumpy bar full of widowers!
Every WR in the country will be a lock as first round draft pick.
now that's funny.
+1
Millen was, indeed, a pretty good color guy. Maguire was beyond horrible.
Millen was very good at analysis. That was what led to his being hired as the GM for the Lions (and at the time he was viewed as a good hire).
Maguire was terrible and a buffoon. This is a big step forward in most likelihood.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is Blue!!
Thanks for the update on that but I think we've already got a thread devoted to it.
As for Millen, I'll give him a chance to wow me before I decide to mute the TV whenever he's on (Brent Musburger style).
Ignore this post, sorry.
is that Paul Maguire is that much farther away from college football.
He was one of the best analysts on TV before he left to ruin the Lions. In ruining the Lions, his main failing was inability to draft well and build an organization. That is a different skill set than being a good analyst, which is not about predicting which guy will be great in the NFL, it's about telling you what's happening during the game right now, usually from a player's perspective.
So you're saying that all along he knew instantly knew during the game right then, "God, We suck!" yet only took solace in his analytical assessment, and just didn't know how to fix it?
Perhaps he could've used that analytical ability to analyze the fact that he sucked at what he was doing and needed to stop the train so he could get off instead of driving it further down the track towards the missing bridge...
Did his commentary only point out flaws in coverage, in blocking scheme, etc or did he ever make mention that someone should do something different?
Because that didn't really happen. If you want to state that drafting and projecting the NFL future of a player, which he was awful at, and describing to the average fan what us currently happening in a game are the same sort of skills, be my guest.
I hear plenty of comments about what a great analyst Millen was, and I just don't get it. First of all, it's worth noting how many times he was assigned to Lions games -- not exactly the "elite" game, so what does it say that he got this assignment? Also, I found much of his commentary glib and substance-free -- a remarkable precursor to his career as a GM. If he's "one of the best," that says more about the average quality of analysts than it does about Millen -- although, sadly, there might be some truth in this.
I don't really recall him that well in that role, but most of the print reviews of him make that claim, and he was obviously in demand.
I remember when he was hired by the Lions in 2000...Millen came in and fired everyoone behind the scenes...he fired all the clubhouse people, the trainers, the secretarys and office people etc...People that were low-level but had been with the team for years and had families to support.... and then he had the nerve to go on his NFL Films bio and brag about it.
Steve Sabol asked him "why did you fire the secretarys and the clubhouse people?" and Millen was like "because we need to build a winning culture, what if one of those people says something to upset a player and change his day..."
what an asshole... how did that work out for you Matt.
no class.
Millen also took away Christmas bonuses from the employees. He was definitely a jerkoff, but, Billy Clay Sr. is the one who kept him around for eight miserable years and alloweed him to wreck the franchise. Ultimately, he is responsible for this mess.
He really admitted that he fired office staff on the chance that they might hurt a players feelings? People who worked as a secretary or whatever b/c they presumably needed the money. And he fired them, fired them, because they might upset a 24 year old millionare?
I live in suburban Detroit and work downtown, but I have never heard that quote before. If that is true, then the guy was more than just bad at his job. That's borderline evil.
BTW - I am not doubting the truth of your post, I am just shocked at Millen's level of assholedness.
Yes, Millen actually said that. NFL Films did a Bio on him in 2001 or so when he was hired. Steve Sabol interviewed Millen on his palatial estates in Penn. They showed Millen on his patio talking about how he renovated the estate himself...then they talked about the Lions and he went on and on about how he cleaned house like that.
Ive seen the NFL Films thing several times....I will try to post in if I can find it online somewhere. I never had any respect for Millen after I saw that...and this was well before he tore the team apart completely.
now the big fat a** can ruin my favorite sport to
I found a listing of it on NFL Films website...costs $50 to order the tape
NFL Films Presents - 2001, SHOW: #5
TITLE: It’s All About Winning - Mat Millen; Pottsville; Gatorade
Tape ID: 95708
32 minutes
I can't imagine him getting too many big games yet. They should put him on Big East and ACC games.