Fire Matt Millen

UPDATE Dec. 19, 2006: A year later, and this is still a top-five search result for "Fire Matt Millen." Welcome, people. I started a new football-only blog, American Gridiron. Check it out!

Matt Millen and Donald Rumsfeld started their jobs around the same time. At least Rumsfeld had a resume when he came in. As did Isiah Thomas when he took over the Knicks in 2003.

I don't follow the Lions, but I saw them against the Packers this past Sunday. The Packers stunk up the joint, but still controlled the game. I checked - The team is 23-71 over the past six seasons. How long must this misery continue?

I have no idea if their current coach is any good. How can anybody tell, when the players aren't there?

Anyway, here's the original post:

Detroit Lions head coach Steve Mariucci has been fired.

Since Matt Millen came on as team President in 2001, the Lions have won just 20 games and Millen has fired two coaches that he, Millen, had hired.

The owner, who I believe is named William Clay Ford, should clean house totally and let Millen go.

But since the 1950's, the Lions were fairly competitive in the 1960's and made the play-offs six times with Barry Sanders. But they've gone to just one NFC championship game.

Too bad you can't fire owners.

In other football news, Texas got a "wake-up" call on Friday when A&M put up a good fight against the Longhorns. But since they are facing a Colorado team that mediocre Nebraska whipped 30-3 in the Big 12 championship game, Texas may as well go back to sleep.

Actually, I shouldn't say that. Upsets happen. I'd say that, even though USC should beat UCLA and Texas should beat Colorado, I'd say there's only a 75% chance of both happening. Upsets in college football happen.

I'm afraid that if either or both lose, they may still be far enough ahead in the BCS ratings and play anyway, leaving Penn State and/or LSU out in the cold.

UPDATE Dec 12, 2005

Since I don't normally follow the Lions, I didn't know until reading this that Ford gave Millen a five year contract extension before the season. So now I'm pretty certain he isn't going anywhere.

I would think, however, that this is Millen's last chance to hire a good coach and put together a good draft. If the Lions fail to make the playoffs in two years, then either Ford fires Millen, or Ford replaces Bidwell as the worst owner in the NFL.

UPDATE Dec 13, 2005

I see that there is finally a firemattmillen.com up. No doubt, it will soon overtake this as the #1 Google search for "fire Matt Millen." Lion fan, what took you so long? In most other NFL cities the site would have been up after game one of the Morningwheg era.

UPDATE Dec 19, 2005

Some franchises may be pretty lame, but they don't totally suck. For instance, the Bears have had a pretty rough fourteen seasons or so, but assuming they get in this year, they will have had six consecutive head coaches that have taken the team to the play-offs at least once, by the second or third year.

It would suck to be a Lions fan.