The Millen Man March

[21]

Do we have anything on this? Lions fans organizing to walk out during 2nd quarter Sunday to protest Millen?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2706094

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16328863/

 

[slappy4428]

I envision Pat Caputo heading for the exits, only to have a gust of wind from the concourse in his face. The offending odor wafts from his body, much like Matt Foley, motivational speaker, and into the crowd.
And only lardass Caputo, pants drooping from his ass, makes the lonely trip up the aisle....

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

They did something like this last year too. When the Lions played the Cleveland Browns, a group of fans decided to wear all orange in protest of Millen, etc, etc.

Lions' beat writer Nick Cotsonika for the Freep had a good lead addressing this earlier:

Apparently, some fans are planning to walk out of Sunday's game at Ford Field. Honestly, though, you have to wonder why anyone would want to walk in.



Anyway, these type of things are stupid to begin with. These just show that the fans have an emotional attachment to the team, which is what any owner would want. Apathy would work much better.

 

[Toolbox]

Jeff Backus has a quote in an AP story this week saying something to the effect that "I don't care what they do really. They've paid their 60 or 80 bucks, and I can't really blame them for walking out. We don't put a good product out on the field."

 

[The Big Ragu]

Is it fair to say that if Matt Millen is still GM of Detroit next year, there can be no doubt left that he has incriminating photos of William Clay Ford?

 

[slappy4428]

Smart man that Backus... he speaks the truth. They might have some individual talent, but collectively, the Lions have to improve to suck.

 

[DyePack]

They should instead turn their backs to the field for the entire game.

 

[slappy4428]

Is it fair to say that if Matt Millen is still GM of Detroit next year, there can be no doubt left that he has incriminating photos of William Clay Ford?

Matt Millen is the Isiah Thomas of the NFL... without the people skills and evaluation ability...or common sense....

 

[TrooperBari]

Anyway, these type of things are stupid to begin with. These just show that the fans have an emotional attachment to the team, which is what any owner would want. Apathy would work much better.

To paraphrase from The Critic,

"If the team stinks, just don't go!"

 

[Oz]

Jeff Backus has a quote in an AP story this week saying something to the effect that "I don't care what they do really. They've paid their 60 or 80 bucks, and I can't really blame them for walking out. We don't put a good product out on the field."

Got to appreciate that honesty. That said, if he's still around in 2007 ...

 

[Starman]

Jeff Backus has a quote in an AP story this week saying something to the effect that "I don't care what they do really. They've paid their 60 or 80 bucks, and I can't really blame them for walking out. We don't put a good product out on the field."

Jeff Backus, the ****ing pylon whom Matt Millen designated as the Franchise Player, thus guaranteeing he would be paid at a rate commensurate with the top five players in the league at his position, disregarding the fact that he isn't among the top 50 players in the league at his position.

Cash your paycheck and commit another holding penalty, big boy.

 

[pallister]

Granted, Millen's terrible. But the Lions have sucked for most of the last 50 years. Curious to hear Lions fans take on why that is.

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

Backus is a loser who has started every game since the Millen regime started in 2001.

 

[Starman]

Granted, Millen's terrible. But the Lions have sucked for most of the last 50 years. Curious to hear Lions fans take on why that is.

No, the Lions have NOT sucked for the last 50 years.

They made the playoffs six times in the 1990s, had a couple decent teams with Billy Sims in the 1980s, were an OK team in the early 1970s, and actually were quite good in the 1960s (except roadblocked behind the Packers in their division, and in those days, only one team in the division made the playoffs).

For the last 50 years, overall, the Lions have been mediocre -- a little over .500 one year, a little under .500 the next year, a real bad season or so once a decade -- not great, but not horrible.

Until the arrival of Matt Millen, when the Lions went off the Precipice of Mediocrity into the Infinite Galactic Black Hole of Incomparable Utter Suckitude.

 

[pallister]

OK, 50 years of mediocrity it is. I stand corrected.

 

[Starman]

Well, the tempting thing is to say it's all the owner's fault, but you know what? The owner's only job is to find somebody who knows what he's doing to run the team, hire him, then sign the checks whenever he tells you to sign the checks. Then, if it turns out the guy you hired DOESN'T know what he's doing, FIRE HIM AND HIRE SOMEBODY ELSE.

The Fords' main failing is strictly in that last department. They held on to Russ Thomas, an idiot and a skinflint (back when the GM had the discretion to be a skinflint or not) about 15 years longer than they should have, they held on to Wayne Fontes about 132 games longer than they should have, and now they've held on to Matt Millen about five years, 11 months and two weeks too long.

Art Rooney owned the Steelers for 40 years and they never won a damn thing; they never even made the playoffs in their first four decades of existence. Never made the playoffs!! During the 1960s, the Steelers ran coaches and GMs through there like **** through a goose. Then, finally, Rooney hired a guy who knew what he was doing, Chuck Noll, and off they went to the Super Bowl.

All Ford has to do is fire Millen, hire somebody who knows what he's doing, keep signing the checks, and everything will be fine.

 

[BYH]

Well, the tempting thing is to say it's all the owner's fault, but you know what? The owner's only job is to find somebody who knows what he's doing to run the team, hire him, then sign the checks whenever he tells you to sign the checks. Then, if it turns out the guy you hired DOESN'T know what he's doing, FIRE HIM AND HIRE SOMEBODY ELSE.

The Fords' main failing is strictly in that last department. They held on to Russ Thomas, an idiot and a skinflint (back when the GM had the discretion to be a skinflint or not) about 15 years longer than they should have, they held on to Wayne Fontes about 132 games longer than they should have...

In defense of Fontes, he made the playoffs four times in five years. Whatever his issues are/were, he's by far the most successful coach they've had in decades, and it's not even close.

And I'm sorry, but a team that's won ONE playoff game in the 49 years since its last championship is far worse than mediocre. It's historically bad.

 

[TrooperBari]

Until the arrival of Matt Millen, when the Lions went off the Precipice of Mediocrity into the Infinite Galactic Black Hole of Incomparable Utter Suckitude.

Isn't that a Smashing Pumpkins album?

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Stupid pretentious grunge rock and its snotty album names.

 

[Bruhman]

Starman is correct. It's not hard to be an owner. Hire good people and get out of the way.

If the people turn out to be bad hires (and I think Millen went from the field to the booth to the front office, hardly a strong resume), fire them and try again.

Also, I believe some O's fans staged a similar walkout stunt late last season.