Matt Millen
Encyclopedia
Matthew George "Matt" Millen (born March 12, 1958) is an American former National Football League
linebacker
and a former executive. Millen played for the Oakland Raiders
, the San Francisco 49ers
and the Washington Redskins
. In Millen's 12-year NFL playing career, he played on four Super Bowl
-winning teams. Millen won a Super Bowl ring with each of the three teams for which he played.
After his playing career, Millen was President
and CEO
of the Detroit Lions
from 2001 until 2008. His eight-year tenure as head of the franchise led to the worst eight-year record in the history of the modern NFL (31-97), and resulted in his termination on September 24, 2008.
Following his NFL career, he was a football commentator for several national television and radio networks. His last job before joining the Lions was as a member of the number two broadcast team for the NFL on Fox
, as well as being the color commentator for Monday Night Football
on Westwood One
. On February 1, 2009, he joined the NBC
broadcast team for pre-game analysis of Super Bowl XLIII
. He was employed by ESPN
as an NFL analyst, and by NFL Network
as a color commentator on Thursday Night Football, but currently only does color commentary on ESPN for college football.
, Pennsylvania
and grew up in Whitehall, Pennsylvania a suburb of Allentown. Pennsylvania
. He attended Whitehall High School
in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley
region. He was a standout high school football player for Whitehall, which played in the highly competitive East Penn Conference (now known as the Lehigh Valley Conference
).
He was recruited out of Whitehall High School by Pennsylvania State University
, where he became an All-American defensive tackle for the Nittany Lions
.
and was selected by the Oakland Raiders
with the draft's 43rd overall selection in the second round.
During his 12-year NFL playing career, Millen played for the Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers
, and the Washington Redskins
. He won a Super Bowl with each of these teams, including two with the Raiders (one when the team was based in Oakland
and one during their stint in Los Angeles
). He won one Super Bowl each with the 49ers and Redskins, though he was de-activated for Super Bowl XXVI
while with the Redskins.
During his NFL career, he was selected to play in one Pro Bowl
(in 1988
). Millen finished his 12 NFL seasons with 11 sacks and 9 interceptions, which he returned for 132 yards, and 8 fumble recoveries. He also returned 7 kickoffs for 72 yards.
for CBS
TV
(which teamed him with Sean McDonough
, Paul Olden, Mike Emrick
, and Tim Ryan
), and for Fox
(which teamed him with Dick Stockton
). He also provided game analysis for the radio broadcasts of Monday Night Football
, working alongside Howard David
on CBS
's Westwood One
radio network.
At Fox, Millen came to be considered the number-two analyst for its nationally-broadcast games, behind John Madden
(who had been successfully teaming for years with Pat Summerall
).
Millen returned to broadcasting when he served as a studio analyst for NBC
's coverage of Wild Card Saturday, his first television appearance in an analyst role since the 2000 NFC Divisional Playoffs, and reprised that role for NBC on their coverage of Super Bowl XLIII
.
On June 15, 2009, Millen was named the lead analyst for the NFL Network's Thursday Night Football telecast
, replacing Cris Collinsworth
. He is also a color analyst for ESPN College Football
telecasts, teaming with Sean McDonough and Holly Rowe
.
, Millen left broadcasting to assume the job of the Detroit Lions
' CEO and de facto general manager
. At that time, Millen had no prior player development or front office experience.
Millen was the Lions' CEO for seven full seasons, from 2001–07; during that time, the club compiled a record of 31-81 (with at least nine losses each season). Detroit's .277 winning percentage was the among the worst ever compiled by an NFL team over a seven-year period; only the Chicago Cardinals of 1939-45 (10-61-3, .141) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
of 1983-89 (26-86, .234) were less successful.
During the early part of Millen's tenure (2001–2003), the Lions failed to win a road game for three years (0–24) before opening the season with a win at the Chicago Bears
in 2004. Overall, the Lions are 8–50 on the road since 2001. Millen himself admitted to an interviewer in 2008 that the team's record under his leadership has been "beyond awful". The Wall Street Journal said that NFL executives admit in private that Millen "has made more bad draft decisions than anyone else in two centuries".
Despite the team's record on the field, Millen was the second-highest paid general manager in the NFL. With a draft record that included a number of high first-round draft picks who were considered poor choices (Charles Rogers, Joey Harrington
, and Mike Williams among them), and widespread disappointment among fans, the media, and even some players, Millen received a five-year contract extension from owner William Clay Ford, Sr.
at the start of the 2005
season. Following the team's 3–13 performance in 2006, Ford announced that Millen would be retained as General Manager for at least another season, because, according to inside sources to the Ford family, they still believed that Millen was the best GM that the Lions ever had.
On September 24, 2008, Millen was confirmed to no longer hold his positions with the Lions. Whether he was dismissed or resigned was unclear. It was later reported by a team official that Millen was actually fired.
With the Lions trade of 2006 first round draft pick Ernie Sims
in April 2010, only three of Millen's first-round draft picks, receiver Calvin Johnson
(the fourth WR chosen by Detroit #1 overall during Millen's reign), left tackle Jeff Backus
, and right tackle Gosder Cherilus
, remained on the team's roster.
on August 4, 2006.
The chant began to spread during a college basketball game between Michigan State
and Wichita State
at The Palace of Auburn Hills
on December 10, 2005. It started when ousted Lions coach
Steve Mariucci
was shown on the big screen, prompting a standing ovation for Mariucci and a loud chant of "Fire Millen!" The following night in Los Angeles
, in an NBA game between the Detroit Pistons
and Los Angeles Clippers
, the chant surfaced late in the 4th quarter at the Staples Center
. The chant had also been heard during various Detroit Red Wings
games, both home and away, as well as during a college basketball game between Michigan
and UCLA
. Former Pistons power forward
Rasheed Wallace
even took part in the chant during a late timeout in a December 16, 2005
game against the Chicago Bulls
. A "Fire Millen" sign was shown in the background of a February 3, 2007 broadcast of ESPN
College Gameday at the University of Kansas
. One large sign with the "Fire Millen" slogan was removed by NCAA officials at the football national championship in Florence, Alabama
.
"Fire Millen" even turned up in a background sign in the sports-oriented comic strip
Gil Thorp
on February 20, 2006 (Detroit News
columnist Neal Rubin
took over as the writer of Gil Thorp in 2004).
The "Fire Millen" chant returned in force to Ford Field during the second half of the 2006 Thanksgiving
day game between the Detroit Lions and the Miami Dolphins
, when former Lions quarterback and first round pick Joey Harrington
(often a scapegoat
for the Lions problems) led the Dolphins to a 27-10 hammering of Detroit, dropping the Lions' record to 2-9. More Fire Millen chants have been heard at wrestling event WWE's WrestleMania 23
held at Ford Field
, and TNA
's Bound for Glory
. For 2008 The Fire Millen chants were back in force during the game against the Green Bay Packers.
announced the "Angry Fan March" (also known as the "Millen Man March") in protest of Millen's contract extension.
On December 9, 2005, in protest of Millen's poor record, one Detroit Lions fan site, known as "The Lions Fanatics," led by owner Dan Spanos organized an "orange out" event, which encouraged Lions fans to show up at Detroit's Ford Field clad in hunter's orange, the color of their opponent that week, the Cincinnati Bengals
.
In a game against Chicago on December 24, 2006, another group of fans, led by Herbert Nicholl Jr., planned a walkout protest towards the end of the first half to express their disgust with the current management.
Executive Chairman William Clay Ford, Jr.
, told reporters on September 22, 2008 if it were up to him, he would fire Millen. Despite this, the elder Ford claimed he had no plans to dismiss Millen.
However, on September 24, 2008, Millen's tenure as team president and general manager ended. Lions owner William Clay Ford later announced that Millen had been relieved of his duties as Lions General Manager and Team President.
On the January 3, 2009 edition of NBC's Football Night in America
, Millen admitted his role in the team's downfall, saying he would have fired himself after the 2008 season. During NBC's pre-game show for Super Bowl XLIII
, Detroit's affiliate WDIV-TV
ran a ticker on their website, asking viewers to question his credibility as an NBC Sports panelist, given his past with the Lions. Over 36 pages of comments were posted on the station's website.
's Chicago radio show, following a Lions 23–20 overtime win over the Chicago Bears
. Millen apologized for the comments, with Lions owner William Clay Ford, Sr.
expressing his disappointment over Millen's comments.
at Arrowhead Stadium
, Millen once again came under fire, after a postgame incident with former Lions and then-Chiefs wide receiver Johnnie Morton
. Millen tried to congratulate some of the Chiefs players near the Chiefs locker room, when he confronted Morton, who claimed that he wasn't going to say anything to Millen. When he walked by him, Millen said "Hey Johnnie", Morton ignored him, and then Millen replied "Nice talking to you", and Morton replied "Kiss my ass." That's when Millen shouted "You faggot! Yeah, you heard me. You faggot!" at Morton, which was heard by a member of the Chiefs public-relations staff and a Kansas City Star columnist. Millen apologized for the incident, and after he was informed of Millen's remarks, Morton replied "I apologize for what I said, but I never expected anything like that. What he said is demeaning and bigoted." There had been bad blood between the two since Morton was released by the Lions after the 2001 season, and Morton felt like Millen "tossed him aside."
, Millen apparently referred to fellow ESPN
commentator Ron Jaworski
as a "Polack
", after which he made an on-air apology, stating that he "didn't mean anything" by the remark.
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and a former executive. Millen played for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. In Millen's 12-year NFL playing career, he played on four Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
-winning teams. Millen won a Super Bowl ring with each of the three teams for which he played.
After his playing career, Millen was President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
from 2001 until 2008. His eight-year tenure as head of the franchise led to the worst eight-year record in the history of the modern NFL (31-97), and resulted in his termination on September 24, 2008.
Following his NFL career, he was a football commentator for several national television and radio networks. His last job before joining the Lions was as a member of the number two broadcast team for the NFL on Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
, as well as being the color commentator for Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
on Westwood One
NFL on Westwood One
The NFL on Westwood One is the brand name given to weekly National Football League games carried on the radio over the Dial Global Radio Network...
. On February 1, 2009, he joined the NBC
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
broadcast team for pre-game analysis of Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
. He was employed by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
as an NFL analyst, and by NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
as a color commentator on Thursday Night Football, but currently only does color commentary on ESPN for college football.
High school and college football
Millen was born in HokendauquaHokendauqua, Pennsylvania
Hokendauqua is a census-designated place in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Hokendauqua is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It uses the Whitehall zip code of 18052. The population of Hokendauqua was 3,411 at the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and grew up in Whitehall, Pennsylvania a suburb of Allentown. Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
. He attended Whitehall High School
Whitehall High School (Pennsylvania)
Whitehall High School is a public high school, based in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley region, in the United States. It is the only high school in the Whitehall-Coplay School District. As of the 2006-2007 academic school year, 1,393 students attend the...
in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
region. He was a standout high school football player for Whitehall, which played in the highly competitive East Penn Conference (now known as the Lehigh Valley Conference
Lehigh Valley Conference
The Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference is an athletic conference consisting of 12 large high schools from Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States...
).
He was recruited out of Whitehall High School by Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, where he became an All-American defensive tackle for the Nittany Lions
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
.
NFL career
Following his career at Penn State, Millen entered the 1980 NFL Draft1980 NFL Draft
The 1980 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1980. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
and was selected by the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
with the draft's 43rd overall selection in the second round.
During his 12-year NFL playing career, Millen played for the Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. He won a Super Bowl with each of these teams, including two with the Raiders (one when the team was based in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and one during their stint in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
). He won one Super Bowl each with the 49ers and Redskins, though he was de-activated for Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...
while with the Redskins.
During his NFL career, he was selected to play in one Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
(in 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
). Millen finished his 12 NFL seasons with 11 sacks and 9 interceptions, which he returned for 132 yards, and 8 fumble recoveries. He also returned 7 kickoffs for 72 yards.
Television and radio career
Following his professional football career, Millen worked as a color commentatorColor commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
(which teamed him with Sean McDonough
Sean McDonough
Sean McDonough is an American sportscaster, currently employed by ESPN.-Early life and career:The son of Boston Globe sportswriter Will McDonough, Sean graduated from Syracuse University in 1984. It was in Syracuse where McDonough began his broadcasting career in 1982 as the play-by-play announcer...
, Paul Olden, Mike Emrick
Mike Emrick
Michael "Doc" Emrick, is an American sports commentator noted mostly for his work in ice hockey. Emrick is currently the lead announcer for NHL national telecasts on both NBC and Versus...
, and Tim Ryan
Tim Ryan (sportscaster)
Tim Ryan is an American sportscaster, currently a resident of Ketchum, Idaho.-Early life and career:Raised in Canada, Ryan graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1960, and took a job the newly-formed CFTO as an assistant sports director...
), and for Fox
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
(which teamed him with Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton is an American sportscaster. He is currently employed by Fox Sports and Turner Sports as a football, baseball, and basketball play-by-play announcer.-Early life and career:...
). He also provided game analysis for the radio broadcasts of Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
, working alongside Howard David
Howard David
-Biography:Over the years, David has been the radio play-by-play man for several pro sports teams including the NBA's New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Boston Celtics, and the NFL's New York Jets and Miami Dolphins...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Westwood One
NFL on Westwood One
The NFL on Westwood One is the brand name given to weekly National Football League games carried on the radio over the Dial Global Radio Network...
radio network.
At Fox, Millen came to be considered the number-two analyst for its nationally-broadcast games, behind John Madden
John Madden (American football)
John Earl Madden is a former American professional football player in the National Football League, a former Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League and later the NFL, and a former color commentator for NFL telecasts. In 2006, he was inducted into...
(who had been successfully teaming for years with Pat Summerall
Pat Summerall
George Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
).
Millen returned to broadcasting when he served as a studio analyst for NBC
Football Night in America
Football Night in America is the studio pregame show usually preceding NBC's broadcasts of Sunday night and Wild Card Saturday National Football League games starting in the 2006 National Football League season...
's coverage of Wild Card Saturday, his first television appearance in an analyst role since the 2000 NFC Divisional Playoffs, and reprised that role for NBC on their coverage of Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
.
On June 15, 2009, Millen was named the lead analyst for the NFL Network's Thursday Night Football telecast
Run to the Playoffs
Thursday Night Football is the brand name used by NFL Network for its schedule of live regular season telecasts of National Football League games on Thursday nights. Also included in the package are some Saturday specials....
, replacing Cris Collinsworth
Cris Collinsworth
Anthony Cris Collinsworth is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played his entire professional career for...
. He is also a color analyst for ESPN College Football
ESPN College Football
ESPN College Football is the branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I FBS college football across ESPN properties, including ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, and ESPN Radio...
telecasts, teaming with Sean McDonough and Holly Rowe
Holly Rowe
Holly Rowe is a sports telecaster currently working for the sports television network, ESPN. Rowe is best known as a sideline reporter for college football games which are telecast on ESPN.- History with ESPN :...
.
Detroit Lions management
In 20012001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, Millen left broadcasting to assume the job of the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
' CEO and de facto general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
. At that time, Millen had no prior player development or front office experience.
Millen was the Lions' CEO for seven full seasons, from 2001–07; during that time, the club compiled a record of 31-81 (with at least nine losses each season). Detroit's .277 winning percentage was the among the worst ever compiled by an NFL team over a seven-year period; only the Chicago Cardinals of 1939-45 (10-61-3, .141) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
of 1983-89 (26-86, .234) were less successful.
During the early part of Millen's tenure (2001–2003), the Lions failed to win a road game for three years (0–24) before opening the season with a win at the Chicago Bears
2004 Chicago Bears season
-Scoring Summary:Q1 - CHI - 7:38 - Thomas Jones 2 yd TD run Q2 - DET - 0:16 - Jason Hanson 27 yd FG Q3 - DET - 12:17 - Bracy Walker 92 yd blocked FG return TD...
in 2004. Overall, the Lions are 8–50 on the road since 2001. Millen himself admitted to an interviewer in 2008 that the team's record under his leadership has been "beyond awful". The Wall Street Journal said that NFL executives admit in private that Millen "has made more bad draft decisions than anyone else in two centuries".
Despite the team's record on the field, Millen was the second-highest paid general manager in the NFL. With a draft record that included a number of high first-round draft picks who were considered poor choices (Charles Rogers, Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, where he played for most of his professional career. He ranks third all-time in Detroit history in pass completions, with 986...
, and Mike Williams among them), and widespread disappointment among fans, the media, and even some players, Millen received a five-year contract extension from owner William Clay Ford, Sr.
William Clay Ford, Sr.
William Clay Ford, Sr. is the youngest of the four children of Edsel Ford and the youngest grandchild of Henry Ford.-Biography:...
at the start of the 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
season. Following the team's 3–13 performance in 2006, Ford announced that Millen would be retained as General Manager for at least another season, because, according to inside sources to the Ford family, they still believed that Millen was the best GM that the Lions ever had.
On September 24, 2008, Millen was confirmed to no longer hold his positions with the Lions. Whether he was dismissed or resigned was unclear. It was later reported by a team official that Millen was actually fired.
With the Lions trade of 2006 first round draft pick Ernie Sims
Ernie Sims
-Detroit Lions:Sims was selected as ninth overall in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Sims was targeted by Lions general manager Matt Millen to bolster the Lions' defense at weakside linebacker. On July 30, 2006, he signed a 5-year, $15.735 million contract with $12.1...
in April 2010, only three of Millen's first-round draft picks, receiver Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
(the fourth WR chosen by Detroit #1 overall during Millen's reign), left tackle Jeff Backus
Jeff Backus
Jeff Backus is an American football offensive tackle with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. Backus played football for the University of Michigan. He was drafted with the 18th pick in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions...
, and right tackle Gosder Cherilus
Gosder Cherilus
Gosder Cherilus is an American football offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions 17th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College.- Family :...
, remained on the team's roster.
Competition committee
Millen was named to the NFL competition committeeNFL competition committee
The National Football League Competition Committee is a group of eight members chosen from the ranks of the NFL teams' head coaches and managers to oversee competition and suggest rule changes.As of December 5, 2008, the members were:...
on August 4, 2006.
"Fire Millen" movement
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and Wichita State
Wichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
at The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
on December 10, 2005. It started when ousted Lions coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Steve Mariucci
Steve Mariucci
Stephen Ray "Steve" Mariucci is a former National Football League coach. He coached for the San Francisco 49ers and most recently for the Detroit Lions.-Early career:...
was shown on the big screen, prompting a standing ovation for Mariucci and a loud chant of "Fire Millen!" The following night in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, in an NBA game between the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
and Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, the chant surfaced late in the 4th quarter at the Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
. The chant had also been heard during various Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
games, both home and away, as well as during a college basketball game between Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. Former Pistons power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
even took part in the chant during a late timeout in a December 16, 2005
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
game against the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
. A "Fire Millen" sign was shown in the background of a February 3, 2007 broadcast of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
College Gameday at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. One large sign with the "Fire Millen" slogan was removed by NCAA officials at the football national championship in Florence, Alabama
Florence, Alabama
Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
.
"Fire Millen" even turned up in a background sign in the sports-oriented comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Gil Thorp
Gil Thorp
Gil Thorp is a sports-oriented comic strip which has been published since September 8, 1958. The main character, Gil Thorp, is the athletic director of Milford High School and coaches the football, basketball, and baseball teams...
on February 20, 2006 (Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
columnist Neal Rubin
Neal Rubin
Neal Rubin was born in 1955 in Southern California. He is a columnist for The Detroit News and currently writes the nationally syndicated comic strip Gil Thorp....
took over as the writer of Gil Thorp in 2004).
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
day game between the Detroit Lions and the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, when former Lions quarterback and first round pick Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, where he played for most of his professional career. He ranks third all-time in Detroit history in pass completions, with 986...
(often a scapegoat
Scapegoat
Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...
for the Lions problems) led the Dolphins to a 27-10 hammering of Detroit, dropping the Lions' record to 2-9. More Fire Millen chants have been heard at wrestling event WWE's WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
held at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
, and TNA
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
's Bound for Glory
TNA Bound For Glory
Bound for Glory is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced every October by the American Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. The event was created in 2005 to be their premier event of the year, similar to the company's main rival World Wrestling Entertainment and its...
. For 2008 The Fire Millen chants were back in force during the game against the Green Bay Packers.
Other protests
On December 6, 2005, Detroit sports talk radio station WDFNWDFN
WDFN is a sports-talk radio station in the Detroit, Michigan, market. It broadcasts in the AM radio band at 1130 kHz. WDFN is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and until the end of the 2008-09 NBA season, was the flagship station for the Detroit Pistons....
announced the "Angry Fan March" (also known as the "Millen Man March") in protest of Millen's contract extension.
On December 9, 2005, in protest of Millen's poor record, one Detroit Lions fan site, known as "The Lions Fanatics," led by owner Dan Spanos organized an "orange out" event, which encouraged Lions fans to show up at Detroit's Ford Field clad in hunter's orange, the color of their opponent that week, the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
.
In a game against Chicago on December 24, 2006, another group of fans, led by Herbert Nicholl Jr., planned a walkout protest towards the end of the first half to express their disgust with the current management.
Terminated from the Lions
After a 0-3 start to the Lions 2008 season, Lions vice chairman and Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
Executive Chairman William Clay Ford, Jr.
William Clay Ford, Jr.
William Clay "Bill" Ford Jr. , is the great-grandson of Henry Ford, and serves as the executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, Ford also served as the President, CEO, and COO until turning over those roles to former Boeing executive Alan Mulally in September 2006...
, told reporters on September 22, 2008 if it were up to him, he would fire Millen. Despite this, the elder Ford claimed he had no plans to dismiss Millen.
However, on September 24, 2008, Millen's tenure as team president and general manager ended. Lions owner William Clay Ford later announced that Millen had been relieved of his duties as Lions General Manager and Team President.
Millen takes responsibility
On the January 3, 2009 edition of NBC's Football Night in America
Football Night in America
Football Night in America is the studio pregame show usually preceding NBC's broadcasts of Sunday night and Wild Card Saturday National Football League games starting in the 2006 National Football League season...
, Millen admitted his role in the team's downfall, saying he would have fired himself after the 2008 season. During NBC's pre-game show for Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
, Detroit's affiliate WDIV-TV
WDIV-TV
WDIV-TV, virtual channel 4, is an NBC-affiliated television station based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is owned by Post-Newsweek Stations and is the flagship station and home base of the group with the offices of the group located alongside WDIV's studios; the "Local" branding now...
ran a ticker on their website, asking viewers to question his credibility as an NBC Sports panelist, given his past with the Lions. Over 36 pages of comments were posted on the station's website.
Devout coward comments
In October 2002, Millen came under fire for calling an unidentified defensive player a "devout coward" on Mike DitkaMike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
's Chicago radio show, following a Lions 23–20 overtime win over the Chicago Bears
2002 Chicago Bears season
The 2002 Chicago Bears season was their 83rd regular season completed in the National Football League. Though the team had hopes of returning to the playoffs after an unexpected 13-3 season the previous year, the club posted a dismal 4-12 record and missed the postseason...
. Millen apologized for the comments, with Lions owner William Clay Ford, Sr.
William Clay Ford, Sr.
William Clay Ford, Sr. is the youngest of the four children of Edsel Ford and the youngest grandchild of Henry Ford.-Biography:...
expressing his disappointment over Millen's comments.
Johnnie Morton incident
In December 2003, following a Lions 45–17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs2003 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 2003 Kansas City Chiefs season resulted in a 13–3 record, beginning with a nine-game winning streak—the franchise’s best start in their 40-year history. The Chiefs won the AFC West and clinched the second seed in the playoffs...
at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
, Millen once again came under fire, after a postgame incident with former Lions and then-Chiefs wide receiver Johnnie Morton
Johnnie Morton
Johnnie James "Big Play" Morton, Jr. is a former NFL wide receiver. Originally drafted by the Lions in the 1st round in the 1994 NFL Draft, he played in Detroit until 2002. He subsequently signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played for three seasons. In 2005, he signed with the San...
. Millen tried to congratulate some of the Chiefs players near the Chiefs locker room, when he confronted Morton, who claimed that he wasn't going to say anything to Millen. When he walked by him, Millen said "Hey Johnnie", Morton ignored him, and then Millen replied "Nice talking to you", and Morton replied "Kiss my ass." That's when Millen shouted "You faggot! Yeah, you heard me. You faggot!" at Morton, which was heard by a member of the Chiefs public-relations staff and a Kansas City Star columnist. Millen apologized for the incident, and after he was informed of Millen's remarks, Morton replied "I apologize for what I said, but I never expected anything like that. What he said is demeaning and bigoted." There had been bad blood between the two since Morton was released by the Lions after the 2001 season, and Morton felt like Millen "tossed him aside."
Ethnic slur at 2010 NFL Draft
On April 24, 2010, at the 2010 NFL Draft2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
, Millen apparently referred to fellow ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
commentator Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
as a "Polack
Polack
The noun Polack , in the contemporary English language, is a derogatory reference to a person of Polish descent. It is an Anglicisation of the Polish language word Polak, which means a Polish male person...
", after which he made an on-air apology, stating that he "didn't mean anything" by the remark.
Michigan vs. Michigan State Game - October 9, 2010
On October 9, 2010, Matt Millen was the color commentator for the NCAA football rivalry game between the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Due to Millen's history with the Detroit Lions, he is a very disliked figure in the state of Michigan. There was an outrage against Millen commentating this game, and complaints were sent to ABC/ESPN, on which the game was to be broadcast.Millen in parodies
A target of many jokes among those in the football circles, among one of the more notable examples is that of Bang Cartoons, who depict Millen as a gorilla-like oaf with a child-like mentality. He's usually accompanied by a young, mentally challenged sidekick named Billy.External links
- FireMillen.com.
- The Pennsylvania Football News All-Century Team.
- Matt Millen NFL statistics at databasefootball.com.
- "This Raider's A Real Riot", Paul Zimmerman, Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, April 16, 1984.