Why Be a Detroit Lions Fan? The Matt Millen Era, of Course

Contributor Written on May 12, 2009

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25 Jan 2000: General Manager Matt Millen poses with the new Head Coach Marty Mornhinneg of the Detroit Lions and his wife Lyndsay Mornhinneg at the Detroit Lions Press Conference in Pontiac, Mighigan.Mandatory Credit: Tom Pidgeon /Allsport

Most Lions fans my age were probably spurred to follow the team by Barry Sanders.

It would be insane for me to say watching Barry throughout the 1990s was not a privilege, but anyone who tuned out the Lions after Matt Millen took over in 2001 simply because they were not good a football really missed out.

Not only was Millen the worst sports executive in the modern era, he was possibly the worst person to at any job in the history of employment.

Most terrible sports executives have one downfall. They may draft poorly or overpay free agents or make poor coaching hires...few do all of them equally poorly (even Isiah Thomas had some good drafts) or with the longevity of Millen.

Sports records people never thought would fall usually do, but with the advanced science and business savvy required of modern sports executives, along with technological innovations (I doubt Millen even owns a computer), it could be a very long time before we see another franchise as morbidly unproductive as the Matt Millen Era Lions.

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Why Be a Detroit Lions Fan? The Matt Millen Era, of Course

Patrick Hayes

Why Be a Detroit Lions Fan? The Matt Millen Era, of Course

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