Next week, NFL Network launches its 2009 slate of regular-season games, with the Bears returning, 25 years later, to the site of the 1984 NFC title game for a somewhat less critical -- but still pretty important -- date with the 49ers. (The Bears are a woeful 1-6 at San Fran since the 26-point shutout that helped kick start the '85 Bears, with the only win coming that next season, in a game coach Mike Ditka candidly has admitted was fueled by a desire to exact revenge.)
In advance of the annual NFLN game launch, play-by-play man Bob Papa and analyst Matt Millen met with the media, via conference call.
One of the reporters asked the question that has been on many minds since Millen somehow parlayed a playoff cup of coffee with NBC into jobs not only with ESPN but also with the league's in-house broadcasting operation: "After the criticism you took in Detroit, did you find it difficult to rebuild your credibility as an analyst?" (Frankly, we're not sure we agree with implication that Millen actually has rebuilt his credibility.)
"I just stick with the game and stick with what's going on the field and talk about that, that's all I can do," Millen said. "The rest of it is all somebody else's opinion. If there's credibility, there's credibility. But that can only be given from you, not from me. That's how I approach it."
Well, since Millen has opened the door by deferring the question of credibility to the media, here's one quasi-member of the media's opinion.
He still has a long way to go to rebuild his credibility.
Millen talks well. He doesn't use big words, gratuitously or otherwise. (Steve Young would be wise to emulate the example.) Millen also doesn't venture beyond his comfort zone, taking risks with conjugations or variations that might not actually be, you know, real words.
But whenever he is talking, I find myself ignoring the substance of what he's saying. Millen was the worst personnel executive in the NFL since the merger, and possibly of all time. Sure, he was so good as a broadcaster that he fooled one of the 32 teams into thinking that his ability to talk about football translated into an ability to run a football team. As he returns to the booth, however, the disaster in Detroit can't be overlooked -- especially since he prolonged it for years by refusing to quit.
Eventually, he was fired. And the only 0-16 record in league history remains at the top of his resume, no matter how hard and fast he rubs the back end of the pencil over it.
Though he's done a great job of putting the past behind him while on the air, we noticed a hint of awkwardness when he and Young were talking nine days about about the current state of the Redskins. And that's where Millen will have the toughest time. Some people might not think about Millen's own track record when the Steelers are facing the Broncos or the Pats visit the Superdome. But when Millen draws a bad team, the connection between Millen and failure is more evident -- and he seems to be more conscience of the irony.
That's actually good news for ESPN and NFLN. When the Browns host the Ravens on November 16 or when the Panthers host the Dolphins on November 19 or when the Titans go to Houston on November 23 or when the Browns host the Steelers on December 10 or when the Redskins host the Giants on December 21 or when the Chargers play the Titans on Christmas Day, more folks might tune in simply to watch how Millen handles the task of heaping criticism on bad teams that are still in much better shape than the franchise over which Millen presided for nearly eight years.
Millen discusses his credibility as an analyst
Posted by Mike Florio on November 4, 2009 5:54 PM ET
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58 Comments 
Latest stories in: Detroit Lions, Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Top Stories
Latest stories in: Detroit Lions, Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Top Stories
Analyst and GM are different skills.
Matt Millen: great player, bad GM, great analyst.
Every successful person has failed at something at least once in life.
I will say this.....Last year during the superbowl I listened to Millen speak on what it takes to become a champion. I almost urinated myself I was laughing so hard.
I dont even pay attention when this idiot talks.
conscious, not conscience
and... millen was the worst...? what of kok-man?
and no, the browns will be competing hard with millen's detroit record by then...
Florio - your NBC politics and posts to such make me ask you the same question. Your a lawyer with no football experience....what is your credibility? Millen is a world champion that was a great announcer back in the day that happened to suck rox as an executive. FAR more credibility than what you bring to the table. Fair and balanced.
"In advance of the annual NFLN game launch, play-by-play man Bob Papa and analyst Matt Millen met with the media, via conference call."
Bob Papa...Now there's a name that's gonna take off.
Don't believe me? Say Bob Papa three times fast...see I told ya. Bob Papa is no doubt destined for stardom.
Geezus Florio Hold a grudge much? Millen's job is to explain what he sees on the field during the game. He did it at CBS and Fox very well for years and he's done a good job with ESPN this year. Who gives a shit about his time with the Lions. He was a lousy GM no one can dispute that, but it doesn't have anything to do with being a Colorman for the NFL Network. He knows how the game is played and how to relay that to the viewer. That is what his current job is, not drafting players from College or running a team. Get over it already.
The Lions have been so much better without Millen at the helm......NOT!
The sucked ass BEFORE Millen and they've sucked ass since too.
Millen was an awesome player who was like a coach on the field, so game commentary is perfect for him, and he's very good at it.
Funny you mention sticking with small words and not getting too verbose. Didn't you mean "conscious" of the irony.... I hope thats the joke
good post. i always wondered if i was the only one wondering this. its true, his face does change when he starts talking about bad teams and general managers and such. too funny.
"Millen was the worst personnel executive in the NFL since the merger, and possibly of all time. "
Ahem. See Brown, Mike. Millen isn't even in the same league.
"...we noticed a hint of awkwardness when he and Young were talking nine days about about the current state of the Redskins."
Sort of like the PFT credibility when it comes to posting coherent and edited material.
Millen was in over his head with the Lions but he will be a decent broadcaster.
Florio, there was a segment on ESPN where the discussion of the "haves" and "have nots" came up, or maybe it was just about parity...
Anyhow, one of the contributors on ESPN went on about how the disparity in teams is a result of the people putting the teams together. Then they went on to highlight some of the good personnel men. (Good thing they didn't go the other way.)
For a brief moment, they were all on camera, including Millen. That has to be the least comfortable moment he's had since being fired.
I wish I could say which week/program/episode, but I cannot.
That he became an analyst is a f**cking joke. He was the worst personnel decision maker in the NFL, and now I'm supposed to think this guy has something insightful to tell me?
F**cking ey, every time I hear him open his mouth I think is this the same information that destroyed his franchsie?
Plus if grabs another freaking forearm during a broadcast I'm going to reach through the television and smack that fool. Stop touching every guy on your set.
WHAT CREDIBILITY?
In Millen the analyst's defense, he does his analysis purely as an announcer like he did before he was somehow named a GM. He doesn't offer the "GM POV" like Casserly or the former Titans GM.
"(Frankly, we're not sure we agree with implication that Millen actually has rebuilt his credibility.)"
I really don't understand that comment. Millen's credibility as an analyst was never in question. He was such a great analyst, in fact, that at least one person thought he could be a GM. Clearly they were wrong, but that doesn't affect his abilities in the booth, which have been proven time and time again. Millen is a GREAT analyst, always has been, and I really don't understand why anyone could feel otherwise.
Once the novelty of "hey it's the 0-and-16 guy!" wears off, he'll be long gone. He's a ratings ploy, nothing more.
He's not even a good analyst and he had awkward "chemistry" if you can call it that with the ESPN post-game crew, stumbling and interrupting, and leaving the others not sure if he was even finished with his thought.
"Millen also doesn't venture beyond his comfort zone, taking risks with conjugations or variations that might not actually be, you know, real words."
Ahem. If you are referalking about Emmitt Smith, I'll have you know that I, for one, thought that Mr. Smith did a fantackulabulous job as an correanaspondannouncer. I could really live without your cheap insinujabothings.
I could care less about his time with the lions and only care about what he says on the air.I think he is was one of the better ones and respect his opinion since you know he actualy played the game unlike say some internet hack who likes to espouse his vast knowledge of the game on his website and of coarse shares them on tv every week.I don't have an opinion on that show since I never watch the games your on. it involves a school I despise more than any sports team ever!how about just focasing on news instead of finding someone you don't like and hammering them every day?I think most fans only care about what he is saying about the game and could really care less about his time with the lions.
mike brown is, was the worst owner/GM the NFL has ever beaten on
millen and kokinis alike are just idiots hired by richer idiots because they're "friends"...the other two worst owners in the NFL
Ya know how you just kinda look at someone at they sorta look like a dope..........
The battles you choose often seem insignificant. They also reveal a lot about your biases. Oh yeah, and they show you can't always comprehend what you read.
What part of, "I just stick with the game and stick with what's going on the field and talk about that, that's all I can do," do you not understand? Where do you get the idea that he will be analyzing the state of the franchise?
He will be analyzing plays, not the front office. Which, quite frankly, what I enjoy about the color analysts when watching the football game. Who cares what Millen, Collinsworth, Gannon, Gruden and the likes think about how the franchise is run. I want them to break down the plays and discuss why they work and why they don't.
So if you tune in to hear him talk about the state of the franchise, you deserve what you get in light of what he just said.
I give absolutely zero credibility to anything Millen says. I think it would be hard to be an analyst when you were the worst GM in the history of sports. I don't care if Millen is talking about changing your car oil, the guy has zero cred.
I played in the Big 8 for 4 years and i think i know football pretty well. I have only seen Matt Millan on TV this year and i think he is a GREAT analyst.
Millen was the worst personnel executive in the NFL since the merger, and possibly of all time.
Uhhh ever hear of a guy named Tim Mara
Am I the first on here to say....
This discussion should be very short....
It has to go through his head every time he opens his mouth with a critical take "ok, people are thinking about who I am and what I;ve done, can I really say this."
Doesn't bode well for any media type to be reflective.
How can he rip someone to shreds when he exposed himself as a fraud? Charlie Casserly was vindicated, had a track record, guys with positive track records are usually hired, not guys with huge black marks like Millen.
Bottom line for Millen, he was absolutely ineffective at running a football team and now he's paid to comment on how NFL personnel should be running a football team.
But he asked for it, he took that shitty job. I've told all my Lions fan friends that those guys go in all smiles and backslaps but leave Detroit a shattered blubbering mess.
Bobby Ross, Marty Morningwig...to name a couple.
Mike
Comments made by many people see how you make a mountain out of a mole hill. the biggest mistake Millen made was leaving the analyst role. He was the next madden. He knows and explains football well.
Call it like it should be called he was good in one thing and bad in another and as far as i am concerned his damage was not intentional with the Lions and should not be held hostage as you want.
he probly cant say jack until ford isnt paying him anymore anyway.
just be advised that ford directed some of those pix,
Millen Sux........lmao
This guy is a great announcer. If they got rid of Steve Young who keeps interupting Matt, they would have a really good team. I listened to him do a college game last week and he was discussing OL technique etc that you never hear from anyone else.
I think MM would be a great fit for Monday night football. Tony Cornholer is finally gone and if they fired Mr "I've just watched all the tape and it should 3.9 seconds to get the pass off" Jaworski I could finally watch with the volume on instead of sitting a radio on top of my TV.
FIRE MILLEN!
He is an idiot!
FIRE MILLEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And one other thing- HE IS AN IDIOT!
I find it hard to absorb his commentary knowing to what extent he failed for the Lions. For his benefit I hope the audience doesn't feel the same way I do but I am now aware more fans do feel that way.
I still find it hilarious how many people get up on this forum and tell Mike Florio what he should post, what he shouldn't post. As if he's going to listen to your dumb asses. Mike Florio is the reason this thing has blown up beyond belief, so why don't all you editor-types go out and write book reviews for the grocery store free weekly or something.
Meanwhile, I completely agree with the tenor of this post. Every time I watch that scrub, I wonder how they could possibly have him on in good conscience. To have Millen commenting on player personnel moves or management issues or explaining "what it takes to be a champion" is akin to rolling out OJ Simpson and asking for his take on domestic violence.
So let's see, Millen was one of the best analysts in the game and for some unknown reason whomever of the Lions decided they'd take a chance and hire him as a GM. Gee, I guess those clowns who say he has zero cred would decline the many millions he was given just on moral values alone. Bullcrap and you know it. Maybe this was oppotunity to try something different and he jumped at it. I guess he should have said no to the many millions, geez I guess you would have, right? Like you bozos could do better, oh, that's right, you're blogging on a website, have not nor will ever play a professional football game and YOU'RE the expert? Shake yourselves, please. Look in the mirror and you'll see mor wannabe gasbags who call their local radio talk shows to also complain about the coaches, playcalling, whatever, yea, like you could do better. Morons.
Hey Florio,
Matt Millen was an aweful GM. He did however have a hall of fame career as a player so Millen gets credibility as an announcer from playing the game at a high level.
What credibility do you have? I didn't realize taking torts and criminal procedure in school gave someone credibility to talk football.
Am I missing something?
Millen played the pro game. That gives him credibility as a colorman. You mention that he doesn't use big words. Really? Millen lost me years ago while calling a game and when a player had the ball stripped out, he rambled endlessly about the opposing player "disarticulating" the ball from the carrier. Pompous asshat - I hate hearing his voice now.
Would take over the clowns that talk about the Monday night game, hard to say they analyze anything aside from how much they love the current QB playing.
Current crop of analysts is quite horrible, hopefully they get some new faces next year.
This is a stupid post, and it's stupid to question his credibility as an analyst. He was a very good analyst prior to becoming a GM...he went and failed as GM (COMPLETELY DIFFERENT JOB, I know, hard to grasp, Florio) Now he is back as a GM (a position he has EXCELLED at in the past). His failing at a GM job made him lose credibility in the booth? Don't think that's how it works. Many former players have gone on to try to 'manage' professional sports franchises, and many have failed. Guess what? They went back to their coaching or whatever they did before, and excelled again. Tell us again where YOU get your football credibility?
Oh, the irony!!!
I can't stand listening to the dude. The one time I was listening to him, he was saying how good a player someone was and the voice in my head was screaming "How would you f--king know?!"
It's just one more reason not to watch ESPN. Not that I needed one more.
I heard Millen before a ESPN Monday Night game when he said "for the Vikings to win they have to be able to stop the run, which they have not done" Excuse me, they have led the league the last three years in stopping the run and when he made that stupid statement they were ranked 9th. If he had said they have to stop the pass I could understand, Matt do your homework.
I think we may have just found a solution for the Redskins.
Step 1: HIRE MATT MILLEN
Step 2: Do the opposite of what he says.
Step 3: ?????????????????????????????
Step 4: Superbowl!!!!
I'm gonna give Millen the benefit of the doubt for one reason.
I know that if I were in his shoes pulling in all kinds of money to be a GM...even if I knew I wasn't very good...I'm not turning that money down.
I must agree with many here Florio, you are on shaky ground questioning the credibility of anyone who actually played and won Superbowls in the NFL.
Funny when you said you zone out when he speaks was almost exactly where I started zoning out on this post.
Why such hate for Millen? He failed as a GM. So what? Many media guys are failed athletes.
Kirk Herbstreit is Mr College football and he was terrible at Ohio State.
Herm Edwards failed twice as a coach.
Are Trent Dilfer and Tim Hasselbeck overflowing with credibility? Charlie Casserly and Floyd Reese failed as GMs.
Then there's Tom Jackson. I swear about 70% of his analysis is now just nodding and grunting "mmm-hmmm" while Chris Berman speaks.
And while on the subject of Berman, when did he become Jiminy Glick? He always sounds like he's running out of air while he speaks.
The bottom line is Millen was and has already established that he still is one of the best game analysts around.
I'm actually glad you wrote this piece ... I thought I was the only one who turned a deaf ear whenever Millen talks !!!
I'm always like "what the hell is this dude doing up here commentating ?!?"
To me, I put him in the same category as Dennis Miller ... boring, uninteresting, uninformative ... oh, hell ... just fire the dude !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh, just saw the comment about Tom Jackson ... he is another one who needs to go, without any doubt !!!
Love the end of the post. It totally rips the NFL games on the NFL network. All the games mentioned are gonna suck real bad. But its in primetime! I'll just watch episodes of The Office and 30 Rock instead.
Its not too hard to talk about the game and break it down as the game goes. As long as he makes sense who cares? At least its not Emmitt Smith calling the games, thank god.
There are many things you do that make you a douche, Florio, but this one has to take the cake.
As others have said, how can you possibly rip Millen's credibility as a commentator because of a failed GM tenure, when you yourself are just a lawyer with a football website? You've never had credibility and you still don't, yet you go on NBC like you know what you're talking about. At least Millen has played and has been in the league in some capacity for decades. That alone gives him more insight than you could possibly ever gain.
1) I rather listen to Maddan snore than to listen to him.
2) I pity the folks who work with him. He seems to cut people off and has a lot of energy behind what he says, even though what he says is wrong. Good player, bad GM, and bad anouncer.
3) I only pay attention to people who know what they are talking about, like people who predict that the Washington Redskins are going to the Superbowl this year --- Fman rules.
Florio, I agree 100%.
I mute the TV or change the channel when Millen starts talking. The man has zero credibility and not a lot of integrity.
Integrity, because he kept cashing the checks and drove his team into the ground rather than do the honorable thing and resign.
I'm not even a little teensy bit interested in what he has to say.
How can all you people badmouthing florio and this article NOT get it. He ran a franchise into the ground. He set the benchmark for awful that the '72 Dolphins set for Greatness. And yes, great people have failed. But they usually fail in other areas. Michael Jordan best basketball player ever, not so hot in baseball. Completely different sport, and he made a PRO sports team. You cant do that. Michael Phelps great swimmer, bad actor. Again different area. Whenever I hear him talk about football it is a good rule of thumb to do/believe the opposite.
Dont Taze Me Bro says: November 4, 2009 10:45 PM
Why such hate for Millen? He failed as a GM. So what? Many media guys are failed athletes.
____________________________________
Exactly. And many NFL HCs never played or sucked when they did. Many great NFL players were sucktastic HCs. Competence at one job has no bearing on the other.
I like Brian Billick's approach. He pokes a bit of fun at himself when talking about why such and such QB is great saying he would still be a HC had he been able to choose a QB right. Billick is a very good analyst IMO. I don't knock what he says about QBs just because he coudnt' find one in his tenure in Baltimore. Perhaps Millen should joke a bit about his tenure as a GM to show he acknowledges it.
Millen talks well. He doesn't use big words, gratuitously or otherwise. (Steve Young would be wise to emulate the example.)
I realize that a great number of football fans may indeed be morons--and that the suits who call the shots cater only to them. But there's a larger audience out there comprised of men who don't mind football being discussed in an articulate manner.
First:
Dont Taze Me Bro,
Herbstreit was a co-captain at Ohio State, broke the record for most completions against Michigan in one game, and was the team MVP in the only full season he was the starter which was his senior year. So um I don't think he was terrible dumb ass. Do your homework so you don't sound like a retard.
Second:
JimmyY,
STFU you dumb ass. Geez how can you call anybody stupid when you can't spell and sound like you couldn't complete 4th grade and just dropped out. Everything you wrote has no point AND makes no sense. So please refrain from using your computer to try and insult people because you are just making everybody feel better about themselves. AND why are you making fun of people commenting on this board when you yourself are commenting on this board? So I guess that makes YOU a moron and YOU should shake yourself PLEEEEASE! Step away from the computer, wipe off your drool, and put your helmet back on.
Third:
Joe in Toronto, Canada,
The Lions made the playoffs in 1999 and went 9-7 in the 2000-2001 season with a missed field goal in the last game preventing them from going to the playoffs. Yea they haven't won a Super Bowl but in the 90's and in 2000 (the year before Millen took over) the Lions were actually quite good. So to say they sucked ass before Millen and it wasn't his fault is just the rhetoric of a complete idiot. So what I say to you is do your homework, try sounding educated, and get checked to make sure you're not a complete FU**ING retard before you type stuff on any comment boards. Maybe it's just a Canadian thing or maybe your mom smoked crack when she was pregnant with you. Either way please don't talk about football because your obviously a dumb Canadian and you should stick to hockey.
Fourth:
Matt Millen should jump off of the Chrysler building head first onto a railroad spike.