Classic Millen quotes

Euphdude · #1 (**permalink**) 12-26-2006, 07:34 AM

Freep

Some of these are just plain funny and contradict he's doing today.

Quote:

Is Matt Millen haunted by his own words? Well, Lions fans should be

December 26, 2006

BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG

FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

Matt Millen is a wonderful talker. As a sportscaster, he talked his way into being the Lions' president. He is as engaging and personable as anybody I've ever met in sports.

This week, we can safely presume Millen is chatting up William Clay Ford Sr. After all, Millen has said he won't quit. He might try to talk the Lions' owner out of firing him.

After an astounding 72 losses in six years, should Ford really consider anything Millen has said?

Sure, why not?

"When you think of Detroit, you're not thinking of wine and cheese. You're closer to the (bratwurst) market up here. Regardless of who comes in here, Detroit is Detroit. This is a tough town, a blue-collar town. This is about making a real living. This isn't about dodging things. There's enough white-collar stuff up here, but even the white collars have dirt under their collars. That's the way it's supposed to be.

"So regardless of what happens in coaching, Detroit will always be tough. I think we have to be that. I believe that." -- Jan. 16, 2001, after taking the job. Millen then took skilled-position offensive players with five of his first six first-round picks.

"I want to win now because the rules of our game have changed and the way things are now, you can win now. I don't know how fast that is. It probably will be too slow for me." -- July 2001, a few weeks before the first game of his regime.

"We have the same philosophy in terms of the kind of people we like, the kind of team we want to build." -- Feb. 3, 2001, after hiring Bill Tobin as his personnel chief.

"I made it for philosophic reasons. That would probably be the best way to put it." -- after firing Tobin.

"My initial thought was this: If you can't get it done in five years, get out. And I still think that, but actually, I understand how things are now and when I say, 'Can't get it done,' I mean win a Super Bowl. I don't mean get to 10-6.

"The way the winds are blowing, heck ... if I get another year, I'll take another year. Three more years? I'll take three years. But I think we're on the right track." -- four years ago.

"I have known Steve since he got into the NFL as an assistant. ... His offensive system is one that we already have in place, which certainly is a plus for our football team in general and some of our young offensive players in particular." -- after hiring Steve Mariucci.

"I believe we have underachieved as a football team. I also believe that we have not developed our younger players, and that is bothersome." -- after firing Mariucci.

"I believe that we have as much talent on this football team as any other team in the league." -- before the 2004 season; the Lions finished 6-10.

"The opportunity sits before us and, you know what? The timing couldn't be better." -- before the 2005 season; the Lions finished 5-11.

"Is it the perfect group? No. But we believe it's as good as it's going to be, and we're going to get better." -- speaking about the roster before the 2005 season. (Did we mention that the Lions are 7-24 since then?)

"They'll do the work. That's not the problem. The problem is learning to be consistent in the work, day in and day out at a high level. They won't be alone." -- March 28, 2006, on receivers Charles Rogers, Mike Williams and Roy Williams.

"What you watched today, the last day of the season, you're going to see the exact same thing. It's the same thing we talked about six years ago when I got here.

"It's about the attitude. It was the first thing we talked about. Well, we're finally getting to it." -- April 14, 2006, after first minicamp practice; with one game left in the season, the Lions are on a seven-game losing streak.

"We better get better as the year goes on." -- after losing to the Raiders in the 2006 preseason.

* * *

So there you go. A lot of words for Ford to consider. But maybe it would help if he read a few more.

These came out of Ford's mouth the day he hired Matt Millen. The Lions had finished 8-8 and 9-7 in the previous two years and had made the postseason five times in seven years, but failed to win a playoff game during that span.

"We've been pretty much stuck on dead center for quite a few years," William Clay Ford Sr. said that day. "Matt offers us an opportunity to move ahead."

atomicrod · #2 (**permalink**) 12-26-2006, 10:05 AM

Quote:

"My initial thought was this: If you can't get it done in five years, get out. And I still think that, but actually, I understand how things are now and when I say, 'Can't get it done,' I mean win a Super Bowl. I don't mean get to 10-6.

During their post season meeting and hopefully exit interview, WCF should respond with that quote to every statement Matt Millen makes.