Detroit Lions Weblog

Matt Millen “I’d Blame Me, Too.”, The Lions Off-Season Circus is in Full Swing

Matt Millen has annually graced Lions fans with several revealing, albeit brief, press conferences which illustrate how grievously incompetent he has been during his 31-81 tenure.

Millen’s recent ignorant and infuriating statements that if he were a fan, rather than the Lions team president, he would be inclined to place the blame squarely upon his own shoulders made me sick. These statements are indicative of the incredible, improbable job security that Millen currently enjoys, in spite of the continued poor performance of the Lions.

Millen is often candid to a fault, and likes to give everyone the impression that he is willing to accept the blame for his unbelievably poor decisions. No amount of contrition absolves him from responsibility for the utter failure that has marked his tenure.

There is a part of me that wants to accept Millen’s complicity, yet, ultimately I can’t help but believe that these statements will continue to ring hollow, and that the team will continue to suffer from his poor leadership, and we will hear another regurgitated variant of this same press conference after next season, and Rod Marinelli’s imminent firing.

Mike Martz also rewarded the media with some revealing statements recently, indicating that he had in fact been “fired”, even if the Lions still refuse to comment upon, or even acknowledge, his “firing”. My favorite comments from Martz were ” I can’t explain anything that they do. I can’t.” I want to print T-shirts with that quote. Thank You, Mike Martz for expressing my sentiments exactly.

Martz ultimately deserved to be fired, but as time continues to pass I increasingly believe that he was, at least in part, wronged by the Lions. If the Lions were going to bring a wild card like Martz into the organization, they should have made damn sure that they would surround him with the players and support staff to eventually make it work, in spite of how eccentric he often can be, and how fickle he was when it came to utilizing personnel.

The Lions are considering trading Shaun McDonald (probably rejoining Mike Martz in San Francisco) and at least two unnamed AFC teams (My guess is Denver and Kansas City) have expressed interest in Shaun Rogers. One of the Lions receivers needs to go, in order to better utilize the talents of Calvin Johnson, so if it is eventually McDonald, so be it.

In regards to Rogers, the Lions aren’t going to receive value for Rogers unless they give a public impression that a number of franchises are interested in obtaining him. The Rogers saga needs to eventually be completed in Detroit, but I think that the Lions are beating their drums loudly for a reason, which is to drum up competing offers.

Fernando Bryant is unhappy with the Lions for not giving him his release, something they are likely to do soon. The Lions should protect their best interests in Bryant’s case, since their roster is so bereft of personnel at cornerback. Bryant signed a contract, and whether he likes it or not, he will serve that contract out, until the Lions decide to release him.

The Lions apparently may be interested in re-signing Tatum Bell, in spite of how poorly things went for Bell in Detroit last season. The Lions may also be interested in signing Marinelli’s former Bucs protege, CB Brian Kelly. Kelly was an elite corner at one time, but that ship has sailed.

Hopefully, Marinelli, and the Lions can see that signing Kelly, even with his experience and character, would be like the signings of past-their-prime players like Todd Lyght, Otis Smith, Eric Davis, Robert “Beetle” Bailey, and so many others before him, and will ultimately be a mistake. Or in other words, another Lions off-season, and yet another, in a near endless string of, clowns emerges from Mr. Ford’s circus fire engine.