The Windsor Star reported yesterday that Matt Millen is still working for the Lions. The story claimed that his firing was only a ploy to cool down fans' anger levels. The story is ridiculous if you ask me, but here is the main part of it:
Two different National Football League sources -- one of them close to the Fords -- insist that the Millen firing earlier this season was just a ploy to appease angry fans of the 0-13 Lions and that Millen is still calling the shots and on the club's payroll as a consultant.
One NFL scout acknowledged that this rumour is making the rounds through the league and that while he couldn't absolutely confirm it, it wouldn't be shocking news to many in the football world.
"It wouldn't surprise me at all," he said. Added another NFL personnel type: "Whoever is calling the shots, they're doing a terrible job at it."
Like I said, the story seems too ridiculous to be true. I guess only a franchise like the Lions could pull off this level of stupidity, but let's consider the facts. Millen hasn't been paid anything since he was fired, and as Tom Kowalski points out, there is tension between Millen and the Lions. It appears the Lions are going to try to get out of paying Millen the money he is owed for the remaining years of his contract. To say that he is secretly still working for the team is just, well, strange.
If this somehow turned out to be true, I would hope that Roger Goodell would strip the Fords of owning the team. I doubt it's possible, but if Millen were still working for the Lions and all of us were being lied to, something would have to happen. But as already stated, this seems way too ridiculous to be true. At least I hope that is the case.