Matt Millen Fired by Detroit Lions

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The Detroit Lions have had very little to cheer about so far this season. They’re winless after three games and getting beaten in pretty much every statistical category. But today, there seems to be hope. Team Owner and Chairman William Clay Ford announced that Matt Millen has been relieved of his duties (a nice way of saying he was fired) as President and CEO even though he had three years left on a five-year contract extension he signed in 2005. In a statement released by the Lions today, Mr. Ford said:

“I have relieved Matt Millen of his duties effective immediately. I believe that this decision is in the best interest of this organization. I appreciate Matt’s efforts. Matt worked tirelessly during his tenure to win, and he would be the first one to tell you that you have to win in this league. It just didn’t work out. The support of our fans continues to be incredible and they deserve a winner. Every decision we make must focus on that goal, and I believe this decision today will allow this team to move forward in a positive manner. I am very disappointed with where we are as a team after our start this season. Our sole focus now is preparing for our next game against Chicago. The entire organization must work together and do whatever we can to make this a successful season. Despite our record, it is still early and there is time to turn this season around. These decisions are for the duration of the 2008 season. Once the season is over, we will undergo a thorough and comprehensive evaluation of our entire football operation and put together a plan that we believe will transform this team into a winner.”

No disrespect to Matt, but enough already. It’s time for a change. The Lions have been kind of a pathetic mess since he arrived. Their record is a dismal 31-84. They have at least 10 more losses than any other NFL team over the past seven-plus seasons. Clearly, that isn’t getting it done. Now, I’m sure Matt was doing the best job he could, so I put some (actually a lot) of the blame on Mr. Ford for not making this decision a long time ago. He hired an inexperienced (as GMs go) Matt Millen and way overpaid him. Then he let the disastrous results continue year-after-agonizing-year. You do need to win in this league. And the Lions have failed miserably under Matt’s direction.

Executive Vice President and COO Tom Lewand will now report directly to Mr. Ford on all business, organizational and NFL matters. Martin Mayhew will assume the role of General Manager and report directly to Mr. Ford on all football matters. Additionally, Cedric Saunders has been named the Vice President of Football Operations.

Sources: DetroitLions.com, NFL.com Wire Report, Photo: Newscom