Reaction to Matt Millen firing
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
You get the feeling Steve Mariucci was just waiting for this day, when Matt Millen, the Detroit Lions president who fired him, would get the boot himself.
Mariucci, now an NFL Network analyst, vented earlier today on the Lions finally firing Matt Millen. Here is a transcription, courtesy of Profootballtalk.com:
Whether you’re talking about Matt or anyone else in the business world, there are certain steps that one needs to learn his craft. Matt was a heck of a player, he played on some real good teams, some Super Bowl teams, and he was a heck of a broadcaster too. He was a fun guy to watch, but you can’t project him as a CEO or president of a billion-dollar organization without the skills or background in administration. Keep in mind, he had never been a coach, never been a scout, and never had any management experience at all. To think he would do a good job is really speculative. He didn’t have the background or qualifications to jump into personnel nor take the time and interest. Ron Wolf will go out and scout every kid you talk about. Matt’s interest really wasn’t there. I don’t think he was equipped with his background to do a good job. He certainly had an interest, certainly loves football, he certainly has a passion, but I think his skills would say that he simply didn’t have the experience to do a good job in management.”
Meanwhile, on Showtime’s Inside the NFL, former Steelers coach Bill Cowher said the move was a necessity.
‘They had to make it,’ he said. ‘Obviously when William Clay Ford Jr. comes out and talks about he would have made this change, you have to now do that just for the sake of having some degree of credibility in your front office. This is a team that needs direction. You keep drafting receivers; you go from Mariucci and the West Coast (offense) to Marinelli, who is smash mouth. Make a decision. Put a plan to it and move on. Now this move gives them a step in the right direction.’
-- Sam Farmer