Ford, Millen Have Been NFL flops

Matt Millen has proven in six seasons with the Detroit Lions that he might be the worst NFL executive in the history of the game. His boss, William Clay Ford, has already proven himself to be probably the most inept owner in the league’s history.

That may seem harsh but the numbers don’t lie, especially 24 wins and 72 loses.

That’s the win-loss record for the Detroit Lions since Millen left the television booth six years ago to take the position of president and CEO. Ford, dissatisfied with a 9-7 team that barely missed the playoffs, figured that if any one could take Detroit from a borderline playoff team and on to the promised land of the Super Bowl, it would be Millen. So the former 12-year NFL veteran, who played with four Super Bowl champions, took over the controls.

Questionable decision

That decision alone proves why Ford continues to be a disaster as an owner. Detroit fans are convinced the guy will never produce an NFL champion, considering his team has only won one playoff game in 50 years. He continues to make poor decisions. His most recent one was two years ago. With Millen having worked off four years of his five-year contract, Ford, at a press conference prior to the 2005 season at the team's Allen Park training facility, said he thought an extension would be in order since the Lions were showing some improvement from a 5-27 record in Millen’s first two years. Perhaps a one-year or two-year extension would have been proper. But Ford, wanting to establish some stability, made it a five-year extension

Four more years

Despite a 24-72 record, Millen still has four years remaining on his contract. As usual, Lion fans are hoping a turnaround could be right around the corner. Maybe it is. The odds against any team being as futile as long as the Lions’ have should be shrinking. The National Football Conference is weak and some diehard Lion fans are even suggesting the team could compete for the playoffs this season. Bill Simonson of Grand Rapids, who hosts a three-hour sports radio talk show on weekdays, The Huge Show, suggested Detroit will go 10-6.

But thanks to Millen and Ford, these same fans could be ready for yet another letdown.

William Clay Ford can claim his fame as being the lone surviving grandson of automobile pioneer Henry Ford. But as an NFL owner, he’s been a disaster since be bought the franchise in the 1960s. But considering it remains a lucrative money maker, Ford isn’t about to let long-suffering Lion fans off the hook. He’s in his 80s but healthy enough to be around many more years.

Even when William Clay Ford is out of the picture, his son, club Vice President William Clay Ford Jr., would likely take over and early indications have been that the younger Ford wouldn’t do much better running the Lions as he has been as executive chairman of the Ford Motor Company

A history of poor decisions

William Clay Ford gave early indication in the 1960s of his ineptness when he had a quarterback controversy on his hands. Earl Morrall, who would eventually lead the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins to the Super Bowl, was battling for the Lions starting job against Milt Plum. Ford decided to keep Plum, who continues to be confused for a fruit farmer since he never accomplished much in the pros. Morrall turned into one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks in the 1960s and 1970s.

But for Ford, his bad decision in the Morrall deal was the tip of the iceberg. With Millen running the show, the Lions have wasted high draft picks on the likes of quarterback Joey Harrington and wide receiver Charles Rogers, who are both no longer with the team.

There remains high hope for the Lions with the likes of the 2007 No. 2 NFL draft pick Calvin Johnson being in the fold. But Millen is cashing his chips on head coach Rod Marinelli, who may have the tools on offense to turn the Lions into a winner. But the defense remains suspect.

Ford said in a preseason statement, issued by the team, that Millen and Marinelli had the franchise on the right track and primed to produce championship success. He gave no specifics

Millen had no previous NFL administrative experience when he joined the Lions and the 24-72 record falls squarely on his shoulders. Brighter days might be ahead for the Lions, but Millen’s failures have lowered the bar so low that it might not matter anymore. He’s likely to cling to a 9-7 season as an example of how he’s turned the franchise around.Funny, but weren’t the Lions 9-7 when Millen took over the team?

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