Millen's Lack Of A Posse Will Be His Undoing

They all have their lieutenants -- their right hand men, confidantes. What have you. They are the successful team executives, the ones who are able to recognize a problem, and go out and fix it. The ones who can build something from ruins. Chicken salad from chicken feathers.

Dave Dombrowski, Tigers president and GM. Sharp as a tack, shrewd, cunning even. But he doesn't work alone. He has Al Avila, his assistant. He has David Chadd, who runs the scouting department. And others, in the low minors, who develop the young talent that has now blossomed into the core of an American League champion.

Ken Holland, Red Wings GM. Aggressive, innovative, confident. But he doesn't work alone, either. He has Jim Nill as his assistant, plus a bank of trustworthy scouts and consultants. It's a grand reason why the team hasn't missed a beat, relatively speaking, when Scotty Bowman gave up control some nine years ago.

Joe Dumars, Pistons president and GM. Bamboozler of other NBA executives. He's done it all to them, except brandish a gun and wear a ski mask. Admitter of bad drafts and unafraid to change coaches, all for the good of the team. But he doesn't fly solo at The Palace. Dumars has at his right hand John Hammond, who's practically joined at the hip with his boss. And together they've built and kept the Pistons as an elite team in the league.

Matt Millen, Lions president and de facto GM. Poor drafter, suspect at choosing head coaches, and with an unclear plan. Artisan of a 23-70 record as leader of the Lions, since his hiring in 2001. He most certainly operates with no co-pilot. And the Lions continue to crash and burn, like in one of those test dummy videos.

It is no coincidence, in my mind, that Millen's unbridled failure as president of the Lions runs parallel with his either refusal or inability to hire a braintrust around whom he could build a competent front office. He has no posse, no inner circle. And it will eventually be his undoing.

If Matt Millen could press the "rewind" button and do everything over again, starting in January 2001, this is the path he should have taken: be grateful to the Fords for the opportunity, check his ego at the door, and IMMEDIATELY hire the brightest, best football minds that were available at the time. A personnel guy. A draft guy. Even a small group to help him choose the new coach, which was his first major decision after becoming president.

You can't tell me that in early 2001, there wouldn't have been a small gang of right-minded football people who would have leapt at the chance to join Millen in turning the Lions situation around. Together, they could have built a Dombrowski/Holland/Dumars type of hierarchy, where Millen would have been the boss, but one that would have placed the trust into his lieutenants. I believe there would have been an impressive sector of NFL people who would have said, "You know what, Matt? I'm on board. I'll help you turn the Lions into a model franchise, finally returning it to championship glory after almost 50 years."

It's too late for that now.

Even if Millen stays, his legacy is irrepairably damaged. It's highly doubtful that he could find and hire a posse at this juncture. Well, HE couldn't, anyway. Bill Ford Sr. could, however. Ford still has clout and a fine reputation in the league for being a good owner to work for. He just needs the right people in place.

Tigers owner Mike Ilitch got it right with his hockey club when he made as his first hire, back in 1982, Jimmy Devellano as GM. Devellano's pedigree came from the New York Islanders, who were in the midst of winning four consecutive Stanley Cups, largely due to Jimmy D's drafting and eye for NHL talent.

"I will make this promise right now," Devellano said at his introductory presser, "That as long as Jimmy Devellano is general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, we will NOT trade a draft choice."

It was snickered at, at the time, Devellano's bold pledge. But he made good on the promise, and nobody snickered at the team a few years later. They haven't snickered in over 20 years, in fact. And Devellano helped usher in Holland as eventual replacement for himself and Bowman.

It took Ilitch a little longer with his baseball team, but Dombrowski, hired in November 2001, has forged a winner in about five years, thanks to his inner circle of baseball minds.

Bill Ford can do the same thing with the Lions, he truly can. He and he alone has his finger on the team's nuclear button. If he chooses to press it, his next president should be someone who understands that the job is bigger than one man. You need help, and talented individuals reporting to you. And it has to be someone who can attract those talented individuals.

Don Shula, I'm telling you.