MILLEN WILL BE WITH NBC IN TAMPA

As NBC studio host Bob Costas signed off at the end of Saturday night’s wild-card classic between the Colts and Chargers, Costas suggested that Jerome Bettis and Matt Millen would be joining Costas for the network’s coverage of Super Bowl XLIII.
“We will see you guys in Tampa for the Super Bowl,” Costas said.
So, apparently, Millen wasn’t just making a cameo appearance.  Instead, it appears that he has been hired by NBC, and that NBC masterfully kept the news tightly under wraps, presumably to minimize any criticism for adding to the cast of thousands the architect of the only 0-16 team in league history.
As it now stands, Millen’s resurrection will be a footnote to a day of compelling playoff games, coming one day before two more. 
Come Monday, we all will have moved on.
That said, does adding Millen diminish NBC’s credibility?  And do you agree with our assessment that NBC kept it quiet in order to avoid such questions?
PFT Planet, make your voices heard.

102 responses to “MILLEN WILL BE WITH NBC IN TAMPA

  1. Seeing as though Millen was a pretty good tv analyst for a long time, I dont think it damages his credibility at all.
    TV is where he should have stayed.
    Good pickup by NBC. Now its time to cut down on the cast of thousands a bit, get rid of Bussie and Tiki

  2. People forgot over time how AWFUL Mike Ditka was as a head coach after his Bears’ years… Millen will be the same. He did a decent job tonight and I give him credit for not disappearing off the face of the earth like the majority would have.
    He was a terrible GM and I do have trouble taking him seriously right now – but time heals all wounds.

  3. it totally destroys their credibility because half of their show is based on quick one liners during their highlight packages and much of it directed towards the detroit lions and people who embarass themselves in the nfl and clearly matt millen was one of these people.

  4. Great analyst, and that is all that matters when he’s an analyst. Analyzing games is completely different than being a GM. And if he continues to keep Tiki off my TV, it’s even better. Tiki barely got any airtime tonight, and he wasn’t in the studio at all.

  5. Sometimes, though, you have to say, “If Matt Millen was so smart, then why was he the worst GM in all of football for the past decade?”
    He seems to be a solid analyst, but for those who realize he ran the Detroit Lions, it’s hard to respect what he has to say. We’ll see how all of this looks with time.

  6. My guess is they kept it quiet to avoid a Millen Man March outside their studios.

  7. If ESPN can put on Emmitt Smith. NBC can put on Millen. Millen was actually a good color guy when paired with Dick Stockton for FOX years back. I’m not so sure one thing has to do with the other in this case.

  8. Nothing against the Millen, but he definitely had the Trent Dilfer Effect on me all night long.
    Obviously the guy knows football, but past failures under bigger responsibilities makes it hard to take anything that comes out of his mouth seriously.

  9. Perhaps—Millen could handle the draft for some team that needs a wide receive, like the Bears—after all I believe that Millen is a better judge of tallent than Jerry Angelo!!!!!!!.

  10. If Millen is going to be on NBC full-time, expect a lot more receivers to join their broadcast team.

  11. I have no problem with the guy getting into regional work but that show has many voices that are wiser than his. How am I supposed to take anything he says seriously?
    He should have gotten into play by play or radio where his abused soul can’t be seen. He can’t be a happy man.

  12. Millen totally missed out on the field position battle helped by the punter. Even Al michaels noticed how good that punter was. Millen just stated obvious talking points. Millen used to be a good analyst. He wasn’t awful today. But I didn’t see the old confident Millen either. He seemed very low key and safe with his comments.

  13. Who’s a thunk it??? Credibility?? What little
    they had is gone now. I thought this guy would
    have trouble getting a job as greeter at Walmart.

  14. It’s not like they added OJ Simpson back to the lineup… Although, now that I mention it, he could probably provide some great insight on Vick and the other turds from his current confines…
    Matt Millen did a good job today. I was really impressed with how he took the bullet for the entire Lions organization. Yes, he was the main architect of the Detroit Debacle, but as he even admitted, he should have been hired a long time ago. Ford is more responsible for that mess than either Millen or Marinelli.
    IMO, Millen will be a great addition to the show.

  15. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t watch the pre/post game stuff on NBC anyway. So I really don’t care about the addition of Millen. He seems to fit right in with that group.

  16. Millen was a GREAT Football Analyst on Fox. If Madden retires that is who I’d like to see replace him rahter than Collinsworth.
    My favorite Millen moment on Fox was when the NFL let him play umpire in the 3rd quarter of a preseason game. Made sure to let the lineman know they needed to be afraid of him hurting them rather than the other way around.

  17. He was an excellent color guy prior to joining the Lions. I’m expecting he’ll be just as good this time around.

  18. They kept it under wraps because no one would have taken it seriously. NBC is a joke starting with that “green” bullshit they try and ending with Bettis announcing the “best team won tonight.” If he’s accurately using the superlative, I think Ron Winter’s team actually was the best on the field. They basically decided that the players weren’t capable of determining a winner without their intervention.

  19. Of course NBC doesn’t lose credibility. Just because the guy wasn’t a good GM doesn’t mean he can’t be a good commentator. In fact, anyone that has EVER been an NFL GM – even the worst one – could probably provide some good insight as a commentator. You’re ridiculous for even thinking there’s anything wrong with such a hire. Millen’s not qualified to be a commentator for NBC but you’re qualified to talk about NFL happenings on this site?

  20. The shame in all of this was that the man basically STOLE umpteen million dollars from the Lions organization, and now while he gets to go back to his cushy (and let’s not kid ourselves, WELL-PAYING) TV job, there are a lot of people who have been ruined by the absolute disaster he left in his wake in Detroit.

  21. there is no way they should have him on the air this year. He ran that team into the ground in Detroit for all those years. I personally cannot stand to listen to him.

  22. Millen is one of the worst commentators of all time. I was so glad when he went to the Lions as G.M. because 1.) I wouldn’t have to listen to him anymore and 2.) I knew the Lions would be putrid with him in charge.
    It only figures that NBC, the worst network in existence, would hire the worst commentator. They deserve each other.

  23. Millen was a darn good analyst before becoming a really bad GM. He can still be a darn good analyst.

  24. I guess there is a clause in his contract to not proffer his opinion of any personnel moves ever – unless it’s for the express purpose of serving a hanging curveball for Olbermann and Patrick?

  25. Who cares if he gets a job on TV? He did well on Fox before going to the Lions. His ability to call games or comment on games that are being played is not affected by his inability to run a football team.
    Get a life and move on (or out).

  26. Matt Millen has proven he is completely inept at any “expert analysis” regarding the game of football. Just check his record for the past 8 years.
    Oh, and his comment “that Detroit has talent” is one of the more idiotic statements I have ever heard in my life. The guy has been hiding like a coward for the past 3 months, and now he shows up out of nowhere on a nationally televised playoff broadcast???
    The NBC broadcast has absolutely ZERO credibility now that Millen has shat in the studio.

  27. LOL! Millen must have dirt on a lot of people.
    As for his game analysis, I guess he’s okay. Although, I kept asking, “Why didn’t he do those things with the Lions?” How can he
    question anything any team does?
    Also, I think NBC committed a cowardly act and the guy that
    hired Millen should immediately come forward and identify
    himself. He can’t be a person of “Character.”

  28. Matt Millen shouldn’t be allowed to show his face on NBC. Christ, an 0-16 team and he’s pretty much responsible for how bad they are. He’s bad for the game of football.

  29. I really wish when they showed Millens name at the half it would have said former San Fransisco 49ers linebacker Matt Millen and not former Detroit Lions GM Matt Millen, it really might have given the guy some credibility. Overall he wasn’t too bad, he may have found his calling.

  30. Again the closest he will ever get to a winning Super Bowl team is covering them.
    He d*mn sure can’t make a winning team.

  31. Millen does a good job as an analyst, and over time he should be able to overcome the stigma of being such a bad team manager.
    I generally like Collingsworth (sans his soapbox episodes), so if the rumors that he’s leaving are correct, Millen’s on-air personality will be put to the test.

  32. I don’t understand how the most incompetent GM in the history of the league should be given the opportunity to enlighten the public with his analysis. How can anyone take him seriously anymore? He’s not only the architect of the failed Lions, he’s also the architect of his own reputation. If he had any ethics or capacity for introspection he would have voluntarily left the Lions. He stayed on and by doing so defined himself. And because of this I really have no desire to hear anything he says. If he wanted to redeem himself he should have quit 4 years ago. Do I think everyone deserves a chance at redemption? Pretty much most people do, yes. Is it too early for Millen? Yes. Has he done anything to take any responsibility for his choices? Not a whole lot, no. Right now the only picture I carry of Matt Millen in my mind is someone who was greedy, full of hubris, unapologetic and completely lacking in any sensitivity for the fans of the Lions or for the staff members he axed along the way (and how many of these, in hindsight, were mistakes?). That might sound harsh and I don’t want to believe that this is who he is – it’s a pretty ugly picture – but he hasn’t done anything to demonstrate he’s a decent man. All I see is someone who wants to get back in the public eye, and a group of buddies who are giving him a chance. He had his chances already, give them to someone more deserving. If he wants more public love he needs to earn it.

  33. I thought it ironic they hired as an “expert” the guy responsible for the worst record of the last ten years. But there are a lot of other people employeed by networks that do a lot worse job than Millen did.

  34. Agreed with the first post. He was excellent in TV. I think most talking heads talk out of the opposite end on far too many occasions because they have never played or coached.
    Millen may have showed he can’t run a franchise, but he has more knowledge than most and a good TV personality.
    I actually enjoyed his parts today…

  35. How many guys are these networks are going to continue to add on the set? 9? 10? What happened to just having a accredited news guy and 1 former player?
    If Favre actually retires, how hard are these networks going to go after him? What a bidding war that will be.

  36. Millen will be fine on the broadcast. He’s back to doing what he was good at– being in the booth.
    He owned up to his responsibility. As a Lions fan I’d love to see him tarred and feathered but expecting him to do better is like yelling at autistic kids for not being good public speakers– it’s just not in his DNA. The person guilty of this is still William Clay Ford. Millen wanted to try to turn everything around. Ford should have realized that he was too inept to do so and canned him rather than let him continue to fail. Bad ownership.
    Anyways, good for Millen. He’s got a job again.
    And Florio– YES, NBC kept it under wraps. But like you said, it looks like a PR windfall, so can you really blame them?

  37. It’s wierd watching Millen at the desk talking football, knowing all the while that he’s the architectof that fabulous 7 year rebuilding disaster in Detroit. Maybe Fox News should follow up this effort by hiring George W. Bush as a White House Correspondant?

  38. This news must make Lions fans nervous.
    They have to be fearful the Ford family will be watching him and fall in love with him all over him again making him the Head Coach believing he was just miscast in the GM role.
    My first reaction was… What? How can you trot out this guy synonymous with losing? Oh, the irony to bring this guy out during PLAYOFF FOOTBALL. I then imagined Millen on the phone to NBC just BEGGING to get a shot at redemption. I feel for the guy. I give him credit for taking the tough questions from Dan Patrick and taking the blame upon himself going so far as to say there were certain things about the GM job he was totally unprepared for.

  39. The one insight I was sure he was going to be able to provide was which team was going to lose as nobody is more qualified to know what a losing team looks like.
    I believe he was 0-2 in his predictions which blew my theory out of the water.

  40. Personal opinion…he should have waited until next season to show back up in the broadcasting booth. I remember his time on Fox, and thought he was pretty good back then, but now, especially after the Detroit fiasco, is too soon…

  41. I gotta tell ya, I’m downright insulted by Millen’s presence on TV. This guy is the architect of the WORST season in football history. So to have a gig on TV as someone who is supposed to offer insight , but have no credibility, that is more than bothersome.
    BUT, NBC doesn’t really lose any credibility… they already don’t have any to lose!
    They have the worst intro and song of any of the networks (Faith Hill isn’t even hot anymore!?). They have Keith Olberman who hasn’t been funny since he was on ESPN doing Sportscenter. They have Bob Costas who is better at covering the olympics and can’t ever seem to shut his mouth. They have Tiki Barber who bailed on the Giants because he thought they had no shot of winning a championship (they did) and can’t even land an interview with his ex-coach. They have Chris Collinsworth who is the most overrated analysist/commentator in the game (although he’s somehow better at that than he was as a player). And they have Dan Patrick, who is by far the most accomplished of this rag tag crew, and they don’t let him speak, as I assume they are afraid that he will hurt Bob’s feelings and actually improve their program. At least Al Michaels and Madden to call the games… perhaps that’s where their budget went???
    NBC actually did a better job covering the XFL. At least I could make it through the intro without puking (even if I couldn’t make it through a game)! Maybe they could have Madonna do the intro next year?

  42. Why in the F-ck would we want to hear the opinions/judgments of some washed up jack@ss whose opinions/judgments created a record worst team and a record worst tenure?
    NBC, you chose someone who is, by record, one of the worst evaluators of NFL games and the requisite talent and strategy to place in NFL games. He is your analyst? ARE YOU F-CKING KIDDING ME?!
    I cringed listening to Millen tell the viewers what the teams were doing “correctly.”
    Millen was a great PLAYER.
    The mere fact that you (NBC) hand picked this tard to be an analyst is tantamount to Jesus picking Hitler as his successor.
    I hated the FNIA show before, I will never watch it again.

  43. Mike,
    Because of commitments, I’m a big radio guy. The ability to listen to a game while doing dishes or driving around is paramount.
    I don’t know what Millen will be like on TV now, but let me say (as others have) that Millen was awesome on the radio. He used to do Monday night games with Howard David and they worked well together.
    I had forgotten he had done TV as well and he was good there, but I think he opened up more on the radio.

  44. Well, Costas wants desperately to sound smarter than *someone* besides Tiki, and since he already loses to “The Bus” and Collingsworth, hey, there’s always Millen.
    Seriously … he built arguably one of the worst rosters in NFL history. WHAT THE HELL IS NBC DOING PARADING HIM ON NATIONAL TELEVISION?? What an UTTER BAFOON that Jeff Zucker must REALLY BE … (well, it’s not like he’s all that qualified to begin with … we are talking about TV world here, where normal rules of the universe don’t apply).
    What’s also comical is HOW MANY ANALYSTS each of these shows try to put on set at the same time — I think at one point NBC had to go to ULTRA-WIDE ANGLE, because they had 6 people at the same table on set at the SAME TIME! (although “BUS” is SO FAT in blissful retirement, I could be counting him twice, and should be excused for doing so!).
    Like, it’s not enough to have 2-3 people who are really knowledgeable about a game commenting on it … NBC, ESPN, FOX … they all think it adds some EXTRA GRAVITAS to parade out more HAS-BEEN, OVERWEIGHT, OFTEN ILLETERATE morons to shill for “ALIENS VS. MONSTERS” and SoBe ICE TEE … what a crap product!
    NBC takes the cake though … “FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA”. What a SHITTY PRODUCTION. And what’s up with that shitty FAITH HILL song at the beginning of the broadcast? Man, she’s got so much make-up on too … it looks like HALLOWEEN (the ROB ZOMBIE version, that is!).
    AND, if I were an advertiser on that show, I’d be asking for an ROI … how can Wendy’s (or Verizon’s, or anyone else’s) message “break-through” all the inane noise and chatter? NBC sells every second for cross-promoting either another rival advertiser, or a stupid show like 30 ROCK involving Tina Fey dating a dwarf! How many times was that on tonight, that PATHETIC spot? (Memo to Zucker: SHE ISN’T A HOTTY, idiot!).
    PATHETIC. Makes ESPN look like an Academy Award-winning production by comparison. And Tiki’s pathetic post-game interviews on the field. Makes me want to go back to ANALOG TV!

  45. In related news, Rod Marinelli and his son-in-law are starting at Walmart’s sporting goods department in Dearborn, Michigan next week.

  46. Millen was a good analyst on Fox, before he showed he couldn’t GM a mini-pee wee football team to the playoffs. If ESPN can put Emmitt on, who doesn’t know what subject verb agreement means, then Millen is a Hall of Fame analyst.
    Emmitt makes me miss Michael Irvin. That’s saying a lot. Tiki is just arrogant and incompetent. He couldn’t even keep his earpiece in during the interview with Warner tonight. As long as I don’t see Shannon Sharpe or Salisbury giving commentary, I can welcome Millen.

  47. Blame Millen for taking a job for millions a year that was offered to him, why? He was a great football player , then a very good TV guy, then a not so good manager. So now he’s back on TV. Ford could have fired him whenever he wanted. Like you guys would quit a multi million dollar job.
    If you want to talk about credibility, ESPN is the joke of sports coverage. The best part of ESPN is their commercials.

  48. Former Lion Head Coach Wayne Fuentes lives within a half hour of Tampa, perhaps he can be added to the broadcast team. BTW I saw him in church on Christmas day, he looked ten years younger than he did in the past year(s). I suspect Fuentes feels a lot better after watching the Lions play (or not play) this year.

  49. At my local watering hole in a western suburb, the feeling of hate was palpable. I and many others are not Lions fans but were disgusted to see his face back on television. The Lions fans, OTOH, were ready to start a riot.
    The loser is still under contract (disputed) with the Lions and had no business being on NBC. At 5 mil per year, he should not be hurting for cash.
    I will deal with this by continuing to boycott local sponsors of WDIV in Detroit. First the continuing nonsense of Rob Parker and now this slap in the face by NBC.
    Just horrible.

  50. if they did hire him, it was an excellent move, he was a top notch analyst, poor gm no doubt about that. cut down that cast, by dumping the useless stutering ttttiki and jjjjerome buttass. great plaayers yes, terrible tv personalties

  51. NBC lost ALL credibility when they put that assbag olberman on the NFL crew.Is there a reason that idiot puposely sits off to the left from the rest of the guys?

  52. I just find it funny that he is sitting in a room full of guys who have openly been calling on the Lions to fire him for years. He is living a charmed life to have had so many opportunities just fall into his lap. I’m not surprised he’s back in the analyst booth. Just shocked that it happened days after getting his pink slip in Detroit. I’m guessing NBC has the foresight to exclude him from any draft analysis specials based on every pick he made NOT named Calvin Johnson.

  53. In a year or two, William Clay Ford will become enamoured with Matt Millen’s demeanor, and will rehire him to run the Lions.

  54. bdrooster is still crying about the refs.
    Man some people need to get a life!
    It’s over, it’s in the books, it’s HISTORY!
    Let it go for crying out loud!

  55. Millen was one hell of a player for many, many years, one of the best inside linebackers of all time.
    On top of that, he was as good a leader as you’ll ever find and a real student of the game.
    It’s simply amazing how many people here don’t understand the difference between a GM’s role and that of a player or coach.

  56. NBC hired the WORST GM IN NFL HISTORY as an expert analyst.
    How in the world does that NOT diminish NBC’s credibility.
    Where is Edward R. Olbermann anyway, isn’t he a journalist. Would one of the most intriguing stories ever in sports be something of interest?
    What a sick joke.

  57. Here is the Master Student waxing eloquent on football.
    “You change coaches because obviously you’re not having success. But that’s a great point that you make because any organization that’s going to have a winning record, it all comes back to not only stability but consistency. You have to have consistency in philosophy. You have to consistency with scheme and that type of thing. So when you’re changing things over, that’s tough to do.”
    Yeah, scheme, that type of thing.
    LMMFAO, what an IDIOT.
    He is a complete moron.
    Scheme…LOL.

  58. Dan Patrick started off asking Millen about his feeling that the team he led for years went 0-16. They put it on the table, then moved on (or . . must. not.). I think he was quite good. Better than I expected and I don’t remember him in his past Faux role. I think NBC still hasn’t figured out what they want to do with FNIA. I think changing the name would be a good start, eh?

  59. He took responsibility for the debacle in Detroit & admitted he was not qualified for the position. As a football commentator he was outstanding & thats what he would be doing. NBC’s credibility would take a hit if they added Emmit Smith or Sean Salisbury for their communication skills.

  60. I think just about every head coach or GM working in TV right now was fired at some point so I don’t understand why Millen shouldn’t be considered for such a role now. If you saw the intro he took full responsibility for the mess in Detroit and admitted that he wasn’t fully qualified for the job when he got hired. He did a good job when he was with Fox and he did fine last night. I see him replacing Tiki on the broadcast since they have already booted him out of the studio and I think he is on his way out the door.

  61. At first I was horribly offended and mad they put the Architect of 0-16 on TV but then I quickly remembered how darn likeable that mug is and forgot all about it. No doubt NBC realized that replacing Madden with Collinsworth wouldn’t work as Chris is just too bland to add any real color next to Al Michaels. Millen will be Madden’s replacement which is where he was headed before he decided to dismantle Detroit’s .500 squad and replace it with 8 years of a slow motion train wreck culminating in 0-16. Yeah, it’s still hard to take much of what he says seriously but do many people take John Madden all that seriously? Being a TV analyst is different than hiring coaches, drafting wide receivers, managing a salary cap, etc.
    The sad thing is after 8 years Millen actually had arguably his best draft last time around.

  62. NBC should do a draft show and team can listen to who Millen would choose and do the exact opposite. This worked for George Costanza.

  63. NBC’s pre-game show is terrible. I tuned in five minutes before game time and shockingly said ‘that’s Matt Millen’. It takes some balls to show his face in NFL circles.
    And yes he was at one time a good analyst, he gave it all back with his gig in Detroit.
    For me just one more reason not to watch NBC.

  64. NBC may already have the worst football show I’ve ever seen. Adding one more stooge really isn’t going to make a lot of difference.
    Whatever happened to NFL Matchup?

  65. I thought it was a joke. He put together the worst team in the history of the NFL, and now we want his opinion…why?
    Put him back in the booth calling games, and send him to Detroit. That would be good television.

  66. They likely kept it quiet to give Millen a chance. If they sent out a press release before hand, the complaints would’ve started before he was on air. By not announcing it, he was given a chance to be on air first. Now the discussion is about his on air performance instead of his hiring. It was a smart move.

  67. Millen always was a good game analyst. His record as Detroit’s GM should be ignored – although they should have waited until next year. Good to have him back. They should have had him working with the AZ-ATL game Collinsworth instead of that old drag queen – Tom Hammond? That was the worst play by play I’ve ever heard.

  68. I thought Fox should have hired him back. Sure better than Brian Baldinger, Tim Ryan, J.C. Pearson, and those heavy weeks when Tony Boselli is in the 2nd chair. Oh, and Fox, Ron Pitts isn’t working out as a play by play guy either. Worst team ever, Pitts and Boselli. Move Billick up too, pair him with Stockton, then your on to something.

  69. Considering Millen was considered to be the “next Madden” at one time and was one of the top announcers before he left for the lions… it would seem only fitting that he return to a role that he can actually do.
    WIth his 6 months or so of actual GM’ing, his experience will prove invaluable…plus it will open the door for many smart/funny comments made towards Millen whenever he gets too sure or himself. “Great call, Matt, kind of ironic coming from the architect of the worst franchise in history”

  70. millen wasnt good at being gm but he was also in a tight box in detroit. the old man dictated some of those picks, especially certain high ones.
    rogers. harrington (probably). stanton.
    and the braintrust that made them this bad the last 8 years is still largely intact. ya cant run across a sucker like jerry jones (the roy e trade!) often enough to depend on that to turn this franchise around.

  71. There is a scene in the Naked Gun movie with about 10 people calling the baseball game with Curt Gowdy including Dr Joyce Brothers among others. NBC’s Football Night is becoming a parody unto itself. How long before a Conan or Leno bit is worked in?

  72. During his interview earlier in the day, Millen said he would have fired himself. Then why didn’t he do the admirable thing and step down instead of continuing to make idiotic player decisions leading to an 0-16 team? He’s a joke who may have been good in broadcasting before his overly long tenure as Lions GM, but how can anyone respect his views considering his decision making? And it’s not like SNF needs another talking head.
    Maybe NBC will find a spot for George W. Bush in the news division.

  73. After their embarrassing coverage of the presidential election, I wasn’t aware NBC actually had any credibility left.
    And at any rate, I have no problem with Matt Millen as a commentator based on what I’ve heard/seen so far.
    P.S. Saying “We’ll see you in Tampa” to me doesn’t mean that Millen himself will be back– Costas could easily have been referring to the core group. I’m shocked that you would make such a huge, baseless leap, Florio… oh, wait.

  74. Is pro football the only buisness were you can suck and always find work? Why would I take anything Matt Millen has to say seriously after the debacle he created in Detroit. Hey Matt how is Charles Rogers doing?

  75. Kudos to Matt, he was always a good anaylst. He experience with the lions will only make him better.
    Happy to see him doing what he does best

  76. PFT deserves heavy duty props for consistently locking down all kinds of epic takes and breakdowns (plus ya gots to love the edgy humor component).
    However, whether Matt Millen has any kind of role in broadcasting moving forward, or how a network may elect to work Millen into the mix just doesn’t strike me as one of them.
    It just seems that there are lots of juicier plums on the tree than this piece – especially when one considers just how low the bar is for people to get into sports broadcasting.

  77. Wow. This bum gets to talk the ins and outs of football…?on national tv…?! The nations overall football iq just plummetted the first time he opened his mouth last night on air.

  78. Credibility? Are you talking about credibility? CREDIBILITY????
    I especially liked how NBC set it all up with the “interview” by Dan Patrick so Millen could come clean. Then the next thing you know he’s sitting with all of the knuckleheads spewing absolutely nothing but garbage.
    Millen has no credibility. NBC has has lost what little credibility they had as a sports network. What a joke.

  79. Please, someone keep that assclown as far away from our fair city as possible. I don’t want any of his infectious stupidity left in Raymond James Stadium. Lord knows we have enough of it to go around around as long as Gruden is here.

  80. Some of you knuckleheads need some perspective. Millen has no credibility when it comes to commentary on the NFL because he was in charge of an NFL team for 8 years and was an abject failure. Who cares what he has to say?? Really. Who cares?? Millen’s NFL knowledge was tested on the job and he was monstrously, laughably bad. His opinions are meaningless because he’s proven he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I can’t believe NBC hired him. Obviously, they don’t get it or they are simply trying to appeal to knuckleheads like some of you who want to hear his opinions even though he has no credibility. Btw, Millen’s claim to “take responsibility” is a joke – it doesn’t cost him anything now. A real man would have taken responsibility years ago by owning up to the fact he is in over his head – and irreparably hurting the careers of his players and those around him – and resigned. By Millen refused to resign or to make any personal sacrifice when it mattered and instead continued to take millions of dollars he didn’t earn at the expense of the Detroit Lions football organization and fans. Thats not taking responsibility and instead shows that Millen is, as a human being, a feckless coward. I have no respect for the guy. None. I can’t believe anyone does. Oh, yeah, he’s a nice guy. Great. Just don’t tell me he knows anything about football or that he’s a stand up guy. The facts say otherwise.

  81. Millen was never going to resign. Dude was getting paid good money. Since “it’s a business,” Millen had every right to make his boss fire him. Unfortunately for Lions fans, “the boss” is an abject moron who allowed Millen to stay on the job for at least four years too long.
    Millen the analyst is good. I hope he’s doing games next year.

  82. I’d listen to Matt Millen talk football any day over that lunatic fruitcake named olbermann. Heck I’d rather listen to Homer Simpson or Brittney Spears talk football than him.
    In fact, just in case anyones listening – I have never spent more than 1 minute watching football night in america – never more than 1 minute – ever since that fruitcake was added to the lineup.

  83. What bugs me the most is that with Millen there, nobody will talk about the debacle that he left in Detroit because they don’t want to embarrass their “football expert”. Notice that during the year in review segment, the Lions weren’t brought up at all. How can anyone review this past year of football and NOT talk about 0 and 16? Well, to address the Lions past year, they must acknowledge that their studio genius was really an overmatched buffoon with no real credibility on the matters of football.
    Yeah, Detroit has talent. They are called Red Wings.

  84. he was an outstanding player & a very good announcer
    ( or vice versa)
    so if he were to come back i would welcome it as long as his ecxperoence with the Lions is not swept under the rug & can understand the trauma it might cause Lions fans
    btw – anyone else here affected by the incessant repeated commercials ?…last night i went out to dinner & said ” its WAYYYY
    better than fast food…”

  85. Yes NBC has lost even more credibility with Millen now.
    Personally I think all the pregame stuff is BS anyway, But how the hell does Millen get an analyst job that quick ?
    I know he was a decent color commentator in the past but the guy is fresh of being fired for his part in the worst performance by a team in the history of the NFL.
    I think NBC is getting desperate.

  86. Wow and I thought Tiki and Olberman made Football night in America worst pre game show. Someone who makes decisions on people there needs to be fired wow thats as bad as deciding to hire a broadcaster to become the worst GM in the history of professional sports,or to bring on a running back who tries to be a big name commentator by bashing his old team who wins the superbowl, or bringing a political commentator whom you do not even want covering your conventions and sticking hom into sports broadcasting.

  87. The only GM worse than Matt Millen is the dumbass who hired the talent for Football Night In America.

  88. NBC preshow is a joke. Compare that to ESPN’s fabulous highlights show with Berman and TJ. Dont forget the great music that plays when they show the highlights on the Blitz or what used to be ESPN Primetime before NBC hijacked the main post 4pm highlights show.
    I am a Steelers fan, but Bettis is a joke as an analyst. He rarely says anything useful. What is the point of having both Costas AND Olbermann at the same time. Choose one to emcee the show. Both are baseball guys primarily. What is the point of Millen on this show? As I said before, he didnt realize how important the punting was to the victory which explains his fascination with the glamour position WR in his drafts. Whatever he said yesterday was no more insightful than what one of us could say.
    I dont say Millen is bad. But he is not that great enough to rush him back. He has decent media style. So put him back when a year has elapsed. Right now, things are too fresh to take him seriously.

  89. Matt Millen was and has always been a horrible analyst! I can remember him arguing with other analysts when he was completely wrong. Man I would have loved to see their war room on draft day! I can’t believe anyone would say he is a good commentator. Of course I think Madden is completely insane too. Thank god NBC doesn’t let him draw all people and things in crowd and miss a dozen plays a game anymore. I truly think the only other commentators I despise worse are Dick Vitale, Marv Alberts and John Madden. Chris Collinsworth ranks right up there. He acts so arrogant almost as bad as Joe Namath thank god we don’t have him on tv anymore.

  90. Mike Williams (wide receiver) (born January 4, 1984 in Tampa, Florida) is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions 10th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.
    Williams has also played for the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans.

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