Wednesday Notes: Update on Kevin Carter; Training Camp on the Move?
by Sean Yuille on Jun 17, 2009 1:44 PM EDT
in Detroit Lions Notes
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Print- Kevin Carter's agent recently provided an update on his client, making it clear that a signing likely is not imminent. Carter wants to enjoy the summer and spend time with his family, making me think that if he were to sign, it wouldn't happen until training camp is over. After all, Carter has been in the league for 14 years, so it wouldn't be surprising at all if that is the reason behind his decision to wait.
- Speaking of training camp, this could be the last year it is held at the Lions' facility in Allen Park. Apparently Jim Schwartz is interested in moving camp to another location, specifically Grand Valley State out in west Michigan. A move like this reportedly could happen as early as next year, though the Lions denied that there is any substance to it right now. If it were to happen, though, it would likely mean that every outdoor practice would be open to the public. I imagine the outdoor practices would be held at Lubber Stadium, which holds over 8,000 people. Currently, only select practices at the Lions' training facility are opened up to the public, and even then there is a limit of approximately 700 people. A move to an actual stadium would allow more fans in, but at the same time it would make the training facility in Allen Park sort of useless for a couple months.
- During an interview on SIRIUS NFL Radio, Matt Millen was asked about what fans will think of him as analyst.
"It's like anything else," the former Lions president said Tuesday during an interview on SIRIUS NFL Radio. "I can't control ... how somebody views you, or views me, or what they think or what they don't think. ... I'm going to give you an opinion, and you can judge for yourself if it's the right opinion or it's the wrong opinion. Or you can sit at home and go, 'The guy's an idiot, turn the channel.'"
I plan on taking Millen's advice and doing just that when he is on ESPN. For NFL Network games, my mute button will be busy. - If the World Cup is awarded to the United States in either 2018 or 2022, Ford Field and Michigan Stadium could be host sites for games.
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I'll go for Millens last option
Get the idiot off my TV
by Runnin' Rebel on Jun 17, 2009 1:50 PM EDT reply actions
moving camp to GVSU
As a gvsu student, I would LOVE this move! Making the Lions more accessible to fans, especially on this side of the state, would be great
I’m from Kalamazoo originally, where if people are into football at all, it’s still mostly Lions fans. But I have noticed more bears fans lately. In Kzoo, we’re equal distance away from Detroit and Chicago, so that could be an explanation.
Training camp on this side of the state could only help keep and attract fans though
Do you guys actually think Matt Millen is an idiot who can't talk football?
Really? He “President and CEO” of a billion-dollar business, and really really bad at it. The dude still knows football 10000000000x better than you or I, and he happens to be really good at talking about it, too.
Peace
Ty
http://thelionsinwinter.blogspot.com
by ty@thelionsinwinter on Jun 17, 2009 3:10 PM EDT reply actions
so...
He can talk the talk but no walk the walk. Just who I want to listen to.
er, okay
Name me one other announcer who “walks the walk”. If your benchmark for “knowing enough about football to provide engaging and enlightening commentary” is “successfully ran an entire NFL franchise”, you’ll be watching ALL NFL games on mute. The fact that Millen’s the only one to jump from the booth to the front office should give you an idea of how good his football brain is.
Peace
Ty
http://thelionsinwinter.blogspot.com
by ty@thelionsinwinter on Jun 17, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
IMO
another announcer would have known when to quit. My problem with him is he destroyed his crediability. Besides destroying the team I love. His recent comments are exactly proof of that. How he approves of everything the Lions have done this year etc.
Yes I think Millens an Idiot and No he can't talk football (at least on my TV)
by Runnin' Rebel on Jun 17, 2009 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Troy Aikman
Walked the walk…..so did Boomer Esiason, Dan Marino, Sterling Sharpe, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson, and even Merrill Hoge. Given, only Aikman and Esiason actually have been actual announcers to football games, the rest are still football analysts which definitely “walked the walk”. I hate Matt Millen for what he did when he was the GM of the Lions, but I have to agree with Ty that he is still a good football analyst. I may not agree with his assessment or commentary all of the time, but he does know football (outside of the running an organization part). Maybe if he had been a coach instead of a GM, things would have been different. I’m not saying he has what it takes to even be a head coach, but a line coach or something to that effect maybe.
Not only that
but people do not realize just how restricted the Lion’s team President and General Manager are, by William Clay Ford Sr. All decisions go through WCF, so Matt Millen can not be completely blamed for the failures that occurred over the last 8 years in Detroit, especially when he was not the sole person in charge of making the decisions. WCF did not sit back and let Matt Millen do whatever he wanted to do. Even now we still have to worry about how much Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand will be able to do, because of the fact that they still have to get the approval of WCF for everything. If WCF says no, then it does not matter what Mayhew, Lewand, or Schwartz want to do. It only matters what WCF wants to do. In my opinion, Bill Ford Jr. knows that his Dad is not going to live much longer, and he is pushing his Dad to turn the Lions into a winner before he dies. I also believe that Bill Ford Jr is a man who wants to see the Lions win and be successful. When Sr is gone, Jr will take the reigns. I think we will see alot of positive changes when that happens, and I hope that Jr is already influencing his father’s decisions. Matt Millen was just another WCF puppet guys….I give him the benefit of the doubt.
If Millen had a "mixed" or "subpar" record with the Lions for a few years, then quit
then I’d say “okay, GMing’s not his cup of tea. Let’s move on and he can get back to broadcasting.”
But after EIGHT YEARS OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE—sorry, Caps Lock is on—EIGHT YEARS OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE (there we go) without the dignity or good sense to resign on his own, where he’d keep bungling the whole operation, year after year, as long as he got paid, and I don’t want to hear anything this once-good, has-been, sorry excuse for a “football guy” has to say, on ESPN, NFL Network, or elsewhere.
okay, cool
I guess we’ll go back to Bryant Gumbel and Chris Collinsworth on NFLN? Shoot me.
Peace
Ty
http://thelionsinwinter.blogspot.com
by ty@thelionsinwinter on Jun 17, 2009 5:04 PM EDT reply actions
As a soccer fan
I would love to see a World Cup match at Michigan Stadium. I also noticed that Spartan Stadium was not contacted by the powers that be to host a match. Go figure. Michigan one ups MSU again.
I'm hoping the world cup is in Australia either in 2018 or 2022
We’ve already qualified for the 2010 world cup, plus, we’ve hosted an olympics. So I’ll be hoping for us to get the cup, sorry JL.
2009 = The start of the Lions Golden Age (We hope).
by Hyperion Ecta on Jun 17, 2009 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Don't be sorry
Australia deserves it too. If I had the cash, I’d be flying down there to see it. That said, the idea of a World Cup match 30 minutes drive from my house (Michigan Stadium) is very appealing.
As a fellow soccer fan who grew up in MI I agree
I would love to see the US host the World Cup again. I don’t live in Michigan anymore (not even in the US for that matter) but It would be great to see my home state host a WC game.
There is also an interesting CNNSI article about Millen
"I don’t go backwards,‘’ Millen said. "I just don’t think like that. There’s nothing I can do about [Detroit]. All I can do is from here on out. I understand. In Detroit, they need a bad guy. I was a bad guy. I was to blame for the fall of the auto industry and the housing market. Somehow, I had something to do with [Detroit mayor] Kwame Kilpatrick [resigning], although I’m not sure what. But that’s what happens when you lose in this game. You give everyone a cheap and easy story to jump on.’’
What a prick
You weren’t a scapegoat, Millen. You were awful at your job and stuck around way too long. You were the main person behind the downfall of this organization. What a joke.
Pride of Detroit, SB Nation's Lions Blog
Sean, if you can find a way to research this and provide a link
Here’s a quote I don’t know if anyone remembers, Millen’s early years on TV. People say he was so good (ty) It was the year that Green Bay went to the Super Bowl and lost to Denver. Gilbert Brown was having a monster season stuffing the run agains everybody. Millen was doing the Lions game against GB, and trying to explain why Brown was so succesful and difficult to move out of the way. As he was walking back to the huddle, Millen took his yellow crayon and drew an on screen circle around Browns sizeable behind to point out his ‘low center of gravity’. As he did that, he said enthusiastically, and I quote, " Look at that! Look at the expanse of that rectum!!" He may have said it twice. That’s when he lost all credibilty with me. All I can say about him in the Lions years, and for the future is, "Look at the expanse of THAT rectum!!!
Holy Sh*t!
that might be one of the funniest things I have ever heard. I didn’t see or hear that but I wish I would have
by CR on Jun 17, 2009 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions
That's exactly what Millen did to the Lions... RECTUM!
…I know, so here comes the “rectum… damn near killed ’em” joke. Well, I beat you all to the punch!
Can't agree more
For him to make it sound like he had nothing to do with the Lions misfortunes the last 8 years is simply ridiculous. Hey Millen, you were the flippin GM. You know, the man that made the decisions, drafted players, hired coaches. The fact that the Lions have done nothing the last 8 years is soley your fault you chump. If you were a real upstanding guy, you would wave the rest of the money the Lons owe you and appolagize for the mess you have created. No you had nothing to do with the auto industry, they have their own idiots at the top, and Kwame did himself in with no help from you. But you are purely at fault for the Lions. Don’t go away mad, JUST GO AWAY!
GREAT
Now he wants to act like he was just a scape goat. Maybe I could rise up to the challenge of looking at him again if he would just own up to be horrible at what he did. Then maybe I could look at him with a little bit of respect. But no even now he just looks for excuses and anything that would draw attention to the fact that he was the worst GM in the history of the NFL. When ppl look back to these years, 20 years from now they will say omg what a disgrace and thank god that is what histroy will show and that is what he will deserve.
Holy crap!
What a narcissistic asshole! MM is only about MM. I don’t think I’ve ever, EVER seen anyone blaming any of Michigans problems on him, just the Lions failure. He’s trying to regain credibility, I understand that, but when he spews this BS he’s also taking a shot at the fans who have every right to hate his guts.
I’m gonna get skewered for saying this, but screw it- I hope the Lions don’t get to .500 this year because he will take all the credit for it. “Martin Mayhew was my hire, those were my draft picks, we weren’t far off, I was doing a fine job, see how close I was to getting it right!” He’ll dodge responsibility and take credit, what a f*cking prick, I want to beat his ass to pulp…..I better stop….
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