It was inevitable, it was expected and, in fact, it was well overdue.
The Detroit Lions and president/general manager Matt Millen have finally parted ways. Whether it was through firing, resignation or some unbelievable amount of clarity and mutual separation on both sides, the Lions have finally decided to move on, hoping the last seven seasons can soon be forgotten and the team can move on with new management.
During his term, Millen's Lions went 31-84, and it seems what little respect the organization had is now gone, thanks mainly to Millen. Or is it?
Remember, it was the Lions who decided to hire Millen back in 2001, taking him out of the broadcasting booth at Fox and giving him the highest position within the franchise in terms of front office and player development - two things Millen had no experience with prior to his hiring.
So whose fault really is the Lions' collapse?
Despite the poor job Millen did, in the end the blame rests on the Lions themselves. But it isn't as if the organization was sitting on its hands. A day after Detroit's 31-13 loss at San Francisco, giving the team a 0-3 record, Lions vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. essentially said he'd fire team president Matt Millen if he had the authority.
Ford Jr. had a point.
The fans have been clamoring for Millen's firing since 2005. A fan was tackled by a security officer at a game in 2005 for his Fire Millen"" poster. After that, the phrase became a cultural icon of sorts, and it seems most Lions fans felt the same way.
As a Packer fan, there isn't much sympathy for the Lions. You reap what you sow, and when you hire a football analyst to oversee every aspect of your organization, don't be surprised when your team suffers like Detroit has.
But hopefully this will be the beginning of a new era in Detroit, one of success - but obviously not more than Green Bay - and a renewing of the rivalry between the Lions and Packers.
At one point, these two teams had a pretty good thing going. The days of Barry Sanders vs. the entire Packers' defense, with Sanders winning most of the time, and the few times these two teams have met in the playoffs have been unbelievable. Throw in all the Thanksgiving Day games these two have shared, and the rivalry finally seems complete and alive with color.
But with the coming of Millen, things quickly changed.
The Lions seemed to slowly plummet into the depths of the NFC North. Not all was due to Millen, however, as high draft picks like wide receiver Mike Williams and running back Kevin Jones just didn't work out.
The constant coaching changes, including offensive schemes, did nothing to help this wayward franchise, as it seemed Millen was searching for the quick fix, whether that be Steve Mariucci or Mike Martz, and things just didn't pan out for the Lions.
Although there don't seem to be many Lions fans here on campus, or at least ones that will openly admit it, most Packer fans should be interested to see how things work out across Lake Michigan.
Just as long as things don't go too well, of course.
If you think Millen is the only cause of the Lions' downfall, send your argument to Nate at ncarey@wisc.edu.
