Cry the beloved Detroit. As if eight percent unemployment, rampant foreclosures, and a criminal (now-ex) mayor weren’t enough, the Lions are just awful again this year. And though the oh-for-three Lions just got stomped by the lowly Niners, prompting Bill Ford Jr. to call for President and General Manager Matt Millen to step down, the Fords aren’t selling the family business. In any case, it’s doubtful that selling the Lions would have even netted $5m at this point, less than Bill Ford’s recent stock sell-off. Meanwhile, Ford’s Sales Chief and ex-Lexus maven Jim Farley reckons [what were once] new car buyers are the biggest losers. “The credit issue is becoming a big deal for them as consumers,” he told The Detroit News during a free dinner (with an open bar) Monday night. “It will affect our industry.” Hang on; that would make car dealers the worst affected, right? “Farley said the market is proving too difficult for some dealers, many of whom have been under profit pressure in recent years.” The market. Not Ford’s fault obviously. Wait a second; if dealers aren’t selling cars… “[Analyst Erich] Merkle said September is shaping up to be a bad month for the auto industry, and he said sales could fall to the 12 million unit level on an annualized basis.” Farley says Merkle’s off by one million units. But what if he isn’t?
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Fire Millen!
The passengers should worry when the ship’s captain is putting on a life jacket.
Old man Ford is senile. Matt Millen is the biggest bust in the history of the NFL, yet year after year of pathetic seasons, there’s old man Ford, standing next to him, talking about how great a guy he is and how he’s “our man” and how he’s going to draft well and the Lions are going to improve and on and on and on. I feel sorry for Jr. His pops runs the show, so he can’t fire Millen himself. Just gotta sit there and ask him to resign, because clearly he can’t get his father to fire the guy.
At least other teams (mostly) you have the feeling they can get good again (such as the niners), but with the Lions, you hope maybe they will, then week 1 arrives, they look terrible, and you go do something else with your Sundays. Then they draft, spend a bunch of money on completely worthless players, and the cycle repeats…except usually with worse results.
How a bonehead like Millen 1) isn’t fired and 2) WON’T RESIGN DESPITE HAVING TO BE FULLY AWARE HE IS A TOTAL FAILURE absolutely amazes me.
FIRE MILLEN!
And thank god the best sport on earth starts soon. We only have to watch the Lions flounder for another month before the fabulous Red Wings are back on the ice. Now there’s a sport and a team I could watch all day…..and often do :) Hockey beats football for toughness, athleticism, and grace hands down. I always laugh at guys who love football because the guys just pound each other. Hockey is just as brutal if not more so, yet at the same time is more sensational in the way the plays unfold or a goalie makes a ridiculous save. And there’s no waiting around for huddles. Just a fantastic game.
Go Millen! Go! Go away!
Replace “Lions” with “Ford Motor” and replace “draft picks” with “new models” and you pretty much have the same story (and outcome!).
Oh, and by the way: FIRE MILLEN!
Like the Chicago Blackhawks, the Detroit Lions are a team that will not improve until their owner dies.
How a bonehead like Millen 1) isn’t fired and 2) WON’T RESIGN DESPITE HAVING TO BE FULLY AWARE HE IS A TOTAL FAILURE absolutely amazes me.
Hmmm, this is sorta the same problem we’re having with Rick Wagoner isn’t it?
From what I’ve read, WCF Sr. bears primary responsibility for the shape Ford is in today. If Ford survives it’ll be in spite of Sr. and solely due to the exceptional integrity and efforts of Jr.
As a Bears fan, I must start a “Keep Matt Millen” chant. If only because the Lions make the Bears seem somewhat functional.
Like the Chicago Blackhawks, the Detroit Lions are a team that will not improve until their owner dies.
Quite a few teams fit this description; the Raiders, the Knicks, the Bears, etc.
I dunno. It’s morbid fun to root “for” the next 0-16 team.
That the Lions are regularly in the mix is tragic.
Junior has run both the Lions and the Ford Motor company with equally abysmal results.
Keep Millen. His ineptitude runs cover for my Falcons (unless they’re, you know, killing dogs or something).
Bill Ford wasn’t the guy to fix FoMoCo, but I like his honesty.
…the Bengals
WCF Jr. at least has the smarts to know when he’s in over his head. IIRC, he was supposed to be more involved with the Lie-downs until FoMoCo started tanking and he reluctantly stepped in after Nasser was booted. Then after a couple of years, he realized he needed help, and hired Mulally.
Jr. was the one who sold Millen to the old man. But Jr. has figured out that he was wrong. Problem is, Sr. hasn’t quite gotten there yet.
I believe WCF Sr has never been deeply involved with FoMoCo.
FIRE MILLEN, for the love of Jeebus.
Any NFL team, no matter how pathetic, is worth several hundred million dollars. Remember, LA does not have a franchise.
“eight percent unemployment”
That’s all? The pervasive media stories about Detroit’s devastation and decline suggested the city’s jobless rate must be at least double-digit. Shoot, until recent years economists said the “normal” or “no inflation” national unemployment rate was six percent. There must be a lot of former auto workers who’ve taken other jobs, moved away, become self-employed or decided to retire.
50merc, it is only 8% if you include Dearborn and Livonia. For the city alone it is 15%.
I think that everyone is just too impatient. Considering that Millen had no formal front office experience, we need to take a deep breath and realize that he’s just about finished with his apprenticeship, albeit a very well compensated one. Now that he’s made just about every mistake he can possibly make, he’s a wiser, more experienced, seasoned General Manager. I’m firmly convinced that we’re on the cusp of something special. I see progressive improvement occurring at a meteoric pace. Buckle your seatbelts, firmly secure your caps, and watch how your cheeks and jowls become grossly contorted as you take the thrill ride that sees the Lions jetting into the stratosphere with an enviable run of 3 wins, then 4 wins, then 5 wins….until, chests puffed out in pride, we can celebrate a well-deserved playoff spot….in 2014. Can’t you just taste it? Go Lions!