ABC/ESPN issues statement on Matt Millen

There has been plenty of uproar in the area leading up to the Michigan State/Michigan game this weekend and it isn’t just trash talk between the two fan bases. In all their wisdom, ABC decided it was a good idea to put infamous former Lions executive Matt Millen on what is arguably the biggest football day for the State of Michigan.
Detroit News columnist and 97.1 broadcaster Terry Foster has been rallying area fans to contact ABC and let them know your displeasure with their decision in having Millen on the broadcast.
“Call 888-549-3776 ext 3. Tell ESPN and ABC your thoughts on Matt Millen doing the Michigan-Michigan State game,” Foster wrote on his Facebook page.

Apparently ABC has been getting it’s fair share of calls because of this because they did issue a statement regarding Millen today.  Here is what they had to say…
“Matt brings a strong knowledge of the game, decades of experience and a great ability to communicate his insights to sports fans,” the e-mail read. “He and Sean McDonough are one of our top commentator teams and as a result, are assigned to one of the very best matchups each week.”
Foster continued to rally the troops and encourage them to continue to voice their displeasure by bringing signs and getting that oh so well known “Fire Millen” chant going at Saturday’s game.
I’ve heard from some people who want to boycott the game, but we should not let ABC run us off. This is our game and it means too much to our community. We simply must allow these outsiders know what they are doing is not cool. It’s time for ABC and ESPN to get the message. Repeat after me. FIRE MILLEN!
“Matt brings a strong knowledge of the game, decades of experience and a great ability to communicate his insights to sports fans,” .  Really? A strong knowledge of the game I’m guessing would mean that you know the game on all levels from the rules to player evaluation. With that said I’m wondering if ABC Sports executives have ever seen the Detroit Lions and know just what kind of knowledge Mr. Millen brought to the table when he was the one in charge of making the football decisions. We also know what kind of awesome communicator Matt is, just ask Johnny Morton, Ron Jaworski and that mystery defensive player mentioned on Mike Ditka’s radio show back in October of 2002.
Matt Millen wasn’t always bad though. He was a very good linebacker for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins. He also started out as a good broadcaster for FOX but that of course was before we actually knew what type of knowledge he had on the game. Then he took over the Lions from 2000 to 2008 where he posted a 31-81 record and a .277 winning percentage which was the among the worst ever compiled by an NFL team over a seven-year period; only the Chicago Cardinals of 1939-45 (10-61-3, .141) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of 1983-89 (26-86, .234) were less successful. Furthermore during the early part of Millen’s tenure (2001–2003), the Lions failed to win a road game for three years (0–24) before opening the season with a win at the Chicago Bears in 2004. Overall, the Lions are 8–50 on the road since 2001.
Even to this day the Lions are still feeling the effects of Matt Millen’s poor decisions and leadership at the top. With the Detroit Lions trade of 2006 First Round draft pick Ernie Sims in April 2010, only three of Matt Millen’s first-round draft picks, receiver Calvin Johnson (the fourth WR chosen by Detroit #1 overall during Millen’s reign), Left Tackle Jeff Backus, and Right Tackle Gosder Cherilus, remained on the team’s roster.
Remember though, he still has strong knowledge of the game.