It's funny with Matt Millen. On the one hand, you wish he would make himself more visible, more accessible, more accountable for the mess that has been the Detroit Lions for the past eight years. Then, after he does speak, you wish he hadn't opened his mouth to begin with. And that's what has made him one of the most maddening executives, if not THE most maddening, to ever wear a half-Windsor knot in Detroit.
Millen, the Lions GM, poked his head out and talked to the media, portions of which were printed in this morning's newspaper. And it's not even really worth discussing. Because things are just fine and dandy, and will all work themselves out. Really.
Feel better now?
Feel better that Millen believes in coach Rod Marinelli? Feel better that he believes in the players on the field? Feel better that a foundation has been laid? Feel better that the Lions are doing things the right way in practice? Feel better that, if we can't see that, then we don't know anything about the game of football?
The preceding paragraph pretty much sums up Millen's words, and notice that I didn't use any quotation marks, because they really aren't necessary. It's gone beyond quoting Millen for a good laugh, like the good old days of two, three years ago, when it was still chic to actually think that he might one day get it. But why quote someone who's whistling in the dark? We're now down to just summarizing his words, barely scanning them, the way you do the latest great credit offer you receive in the mail.
Of course, what would I expect him to say, you might ask.
How about a few of these, which I WILL place in quotation marks:
"What's gone on here is unacceptable, and the fans here deserve better."
"It tears me up inside that I haven't been able to deliver for such a nice, loyal owner who should have canned me years ago."
"If we don't win this year, there will be changes."
"The team is finally made up of Rod's guys, so if we don't win, he's out of excuses. We're ALL out of excuses."
"We haven't been able to bring the right talent to the Lions, and for that I am responsible."
"Sometimes I can't even look my owner in the eye."
You know, just for starters.
There's nothing worse in sports than, when someone does a piss-poor job, not hearing that person admit that they did a piss-poor job. Or to hear what they're going to do to stop doing a piss-poor job.
With Millen, all you get is a bunch of canned responses that could have been delivered by the office manager instead of the general manager. He's a walking team brochure. The marketing department must love him.
I'm tired of beating up on Matt Millen. It bores me. The Lions bore me. And there's no greater indictment in pro sports than that.
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