In previous lives, before Matt Millen spent eight years running the Lions' franchise into the ground, he was a Pro Bowl linebacker and four-time Super Bowl winner. And after his football career, Millen was part of the No. 2 broadcast team for the NFL on Fox, and was also the color commentator for Monday Night Football on West Wood One. Up to the moment he accepted the Lions gig, he was considered a good player and a great analyst. Which is why it wasn't totally surprising that he got back into commentating after William Clay Ford finally got around to firing him. Unfortunately, a large segment of the NFL-viewing population couldn't separate Millen the analyst from Millen the bumbling front office type.
He served capably during NBC's Super Bowl coverage (although the city of Detroit rightfully continued to hold a grudge), and there was even speculation Millen might land in the Monday Night Football booth.
Right network, wrong show. At least according to the scuttlebutt. Via Deadspin: word on the street has Millen joining ESPN's Monday Night Countdown, apparently to replace Emmitt Smith. No confirmation yet from The Network, but the move would up the show's credibility by roughly two billion percent.
(Not sure if that says more about Smith or Millen, although I often wonder why ESPN never figured out that Emmitt couldn't do live television. Instead taped segments, they'd put Smith live on set every week with unintentionally hilarious -- and predictable -- results. In retrospect, maybe Michael Irvin wasn't so bad.)
Deadspin also hears word that longtime NFL writer Len Pasquarelli is on his way out. And PFT adds that John Clayton, who becomes obsolete with the addition of Adam Schefter, could be next.
Meanwhile, ESPN draws one step closer to world domination.
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