Report: Matt Millen continues to retain job due to fantasy football prowess

Turns out that Matt Millen truly is a football genius.

Millen, the much-maligned Lions CEO, holds the worst 6-year record of any GM in NFL history, and yet has inexplicably held on to his position with the team. Fans, media, and other league executives continue to scratch their heads as to why Millen enjoys so much job security. That is, until now.

For some time its been known that since 1999, William Clay and the rest of the Ford family have participated in an annual fantasy football league that included various top Ford Motor Company executives as well as Lions president of business operations (COO) Tom Lewand. Only recently it was revealed that during the team's struggles in 2004, Millen was extended an invite to join the fantasy league as a good-will gesture. Veterans of the league joked that it was unfair to compete against someone with insider knowledge about the NFL, but Millen assured them that he possessed none of this supposed knowledge.

However, in his first season as a member of Ford's league, Millen tore through the competition, annihilating the competition en route to winning the championship. William Clay was so enamored by Millen's performance that he immediately offered him a 5-year contract extension with his real-life team; convinced that the CEO's fantasy prowess would translate into solid personnel decisions for the Lions.

As any fan of the NFL knows, Detroit is still waiting for that knowledge to surface. Though the product that Millen was hired to put together has been putrid on the field, the Lion's CEO has proved to be unbeatable in make-believe football games. One competing fantasy owner begrudgingly admits that Millen has nailed fantasy sleepers year after year, but Lewand tells a different story:

After being promoted in 2003, Lewand began working more closely with Millen, and after Matt's fantasy championship in 2004, Tom wondered privately if the title was won because of Millen's fantasy genius, or because the Ford executives who made up the rest of the league were busy fearing for their jobs, and didn't bother to update their teams. That, combined with Mr. Ford's senility, led to Millen claiming the championship.

Lewand said that Millen spent an inordinate amount of time updating his team, so much so that he would occasionally jam the company printer due to the amount of fantasy printouts he would pull from over 20 websites. One company source reports that Millen was often late to meetings due to constantly checking his fantasy squad, and others say that Millen would routinely deflect conversation about the Lions, and try and steer the topic towards his fantasy team, the Hokendauqua Warriors. Lewand approached Matt with his concerns regarding Millen's growing obsession with his fantasy team, but Millen rebuffed him, saying that those who actually cared about fantasy football were "cowards".

After another Millen-dominated fantasy season in '05, Lewand began to suspect that the CEO's success had nothing to do with actual football knowledge, but was simply blind luck. Lewand noticed that Millen constantly announced his draft picks only by last name, and the other owners made assumptions as to which player he had chosen. Tom asserts that Millen's first two choices, Shaun Alexander and Larry Johnson, were really supposed to be Derrick Alexander and Keyshawn Johnson. Lewand contests that Millen's affinity for drafting receivers in the early rounds led him to believe he was selecting wideouts...only the fellow owners marked him down as drafting running backs, not believing that anyone would be moronic enough to waste their first two picks on wide receivers with questionable talent.

Lewand decided to test his theory this year by demanding Millen state his draft pick's full name; and was initially pleased when Matt's announced his first three picks as Randy Moss, Eddie Kennison, and Chris Chambers. Tom expected Millen's team to unravel and in turn expose the supposedly brilliant CEO as being nothing more than a lucky SOB. However, Lewand's plot was foiled when Millen duped the 81 year-old Bill Ford into trading Ladamian Tomlinson and Peyton Manning for Brett Farve and Bob Sanders, a player whom Millen led the senile Ford to believe was Barry Sanders. Though angry that the move quashed his theory, Lewand conceded that Millen is showing progress, having finally figured out how to pull off a trade where he came out on the winning end.

While the Lions flounder at 2-11, Millen's team is tearing through the fantasy playoffs. How is this possible? Perhaps Millen is exerting all his football knowledge on his fantasy squad. Perhaps it is because that Millen is not required to assemble either an offensive or defensive line for his team. Or it might be due to the fact that Millen has yet to include a Detroit Lion as a member of his fantasy squad.

Whatever the reason, for all you haters out there: Matt Millen is a genius. I mean, who else gets paid millions of dollars to be good at fantasy football???

Ronald Johnson update

Okay, okay, so the Keith Nichol thing didn't go over so well.

Not my fault though...seems that having a winning record and going to bowl games that matter (or maybe just going to a bowl in general) ended up being important to a kid who won a state title. Hmmm...top athletes enjoy winning...revolutionary theory.

So anyways, with that saga out of the way, I'm going to try and concentrate on our other local stud, Muskegon's Ron Johnson...the trick here is that he's being courted by some of the country's most elite programs...so I'm guessing that any information I gather on him will be flopped within 48 hours and turned into another huge embarrassing failure, but screw it, here goes:

According to our Michigan insider, Josh Helmholdt (http://www.thewolverine.com/), the Wolverine's D-coordinator Ron English was at the Johnson household last week and suggested that RonJon take his U of M visit first, rather than last, which was originally planned. So RonJon spent last weekend in Ann Arbor, touring the campus and watching the USC - UCLA game with the team. According to Josh he enjoyed his visit a lot, and had some slight feelings about giving Michigan a verbal at that time. But RonJon remains committed to taking the rest of his visits...next up is USC on the weekend of December 15th. Ohio State and Florida will also invite him on campus some time in January.

So, with the official signing day for recruits coming up in early February, looks like RonJon will be stretching out the recruitment process as long as possible. And when you're getting flown around to Southern California and Gainsville for free during the school year...who can blame him? More news as the story develops.

Bull-Crap System

I don't think any institution in sports is more despised than the BCS system. Fans hate it, coaches question it, and players are jerked around by it. The only people who like it are those who invented the idea, and all the university presidents and television stations who become rich thanks to the advertising dollars that the bowls bring in. And this causes fans to hate the system even more...since it has become very apparent that those in charge have no interest in tweaking a flawed system; simply because they run the risk of not being able to stuff their pockets quite as much. But remember, this is all for the kids.

All week on the radio show, we've had callers and email regarding fan's (mostly MI) thoughts on why this system totally blows. I have my own feelings on the whole process, but currently I'm too busy plotting a media offensive against Urban Meyer (who, by the way, looks so snug right now that he resembles the people from the South Park episode that were so pleased with themselves for buying Hybrid cars that they started smelling their own farts...in fact, I guarantee that's what Urban Meyer is doing right now in his office. I hate Florida).

So here's some rapid-fire thoughts on what transpired over the weekend:

*How the heck can you call this voting process legitimate after seeing what happened in the final poll? I mean come on, there was a 154-point swing in the Harris poll, and a 56-point swing in the USA Today poll! A move like that only happens after a team loses in an inferior opponent, and Michigan didn't even play. All year the voters thought the Wolverines were better than the Gators, but when UCLA suddenly made a rematch a possibility, voters got cold feet.

*Don't get me started on some of these voters either. Thank goodness that the final votes are revealed, so we can find out about the complete morons and total homers who have a vote in this thing. One voter, Jim Walden, actually voted Florida #1 overall! Another radio show host from Denver voted USC #3 and kept MI #4, and this was after the Bruins beat USC to give them their second loss!!! Plus there is a greater amount of voters who reside in the southern part of the USA, and guess what, they all voted for Florida. And why shouldn't they? If the National Championship is an all-Big 10 final, think that might hurt the SEC's constant claim that they are the best conference year in and year out? This whole thing is a sham.

*And man, you think Jim Tressel had said he'd rather kick a puppy than take part in the process. The dude can't possibly win either way he votes, so I don't blame him choosing not to vote. I blame the NCAA for not TAKING his vote away. Any coach whose team is already a consensus pick to play in the championship game should not be allowed to vote and have his vote replaced by a third party. In fact coaches voting is inherently stupid because why would they vote for another team if that team can gain a recruiting advantage over them by playing in a big game and winning? Schools/conferences competing against each other doesn't exactly breed impartial voting.

This whole process stinks, and those in charge of the BCS know this. Why do you think that they keep changing the system every year? Add a bowl game here, lessen the computer's input there...do just enough to keep their cash-cow system in place and not move to a playoff. Every other level of NCAA football has a playoff, and as GVSU head coach Chuck Martin says, the excuses that the BCS committee gives for not having a playoff are total baloney.

Urban Meyer, who was the center of the media's attention through most of this, said Sunday night, "Next year's going to be the same thing."

Here's hoping that next year he's the one getting the shaft.

Keith Nichol transcript

Ok kids, let's all just step back and take a deep breath.

Keith Nichol is gone, days after he went on camera with me and stated that Michigan State fans had nothing to worry about. I know it hurts, but it's the kid's decision to make.

I've taken some flack from some forum posters on SpartanTailgate...which is very flattering considering that this blog is about two weeks old. Hopefully I'll stir up some more controversy with my future work.

I though that to clear the air and get us all on the same page, I would reprint the transcript of Keith and I's conversation.

Couple things to keep in mind:

1.) I AM NOT DOING THIS TO MAKE KEITH NICHOL LOOK LIKE A LIAR. This interview was conducted before the announcement that Dan Enos would not be retained was made public, and at the time of our talk Keith truly believed what he was saying. Events that transpired in the following days led him to reconsider his stance.

2.) How did I, a lowly reporter who has only interviewed him a couple of times, happen to get 5 good minutes with Keith Nichol? Your guess is as good as mine. I caught him leaving a basketball game, and he agreed to talk to me when I asked. Simple as that. I lobbed some general questions at him and he took it from there. Apparently he didn't notice my jaw hit the floor when he was through talking, but I had the feeling that he was getting pumped up as he spoke. Somehow I ended up with some of the greatest soundbites in the state of Michigan, only to have them dumped on two days later. Such is life.

Anyways, here's what went down at 9pm on Tuesday, November 28 at Lansing Eastern High School:

Terpstra: So you received a visit from Bob Stoops this week, what are your thoughts about him and what did you take away from that visit?

Nichol: Oklahoma has been with me since I committed to MSU, and he just wanted to come down and put his two cents in. He understands the situation, so he's just recruiting, like any other coach would do, that's interested. But he understands the situation, he knows I'm with MSU, so he's just trying to sway me his way. But I'm pretty Michigan State, I'm just gonna take my visit, and that's just to reassure my decision, and I don't think anyone has anything to worry about.

Terpstra: Let's talk a little bit about the visit, you're going there later this week. What do you expect from that? Is it just a courtesy or are you looking for anything in particular?

Nichol: I'm just trying to see what else is out there. I haven't really been outside of the Big 10, besides Notre Dame. So I'm just trying to see what other colleges are like, understand what it's like out there, and get a better feel of what it's like to compare other schools to Michigan State.

Terpstra: State made the big hire with Dantonio. What was the first thing that you thought about when you heard that he was the new coach?

Nichol: I was surprised. I think he is a really nice guy. He recruited me at Cincinnati, and I was excited to hear that I recognized the guy that they brought in.

Terpstra: Do you have any personal feelings about him, anything that during your recruitment you said, 'hey, I kinda like this about this guy'?

Nichol: Yeah, I think he's gonna bring in the right people to do the right job. I'm sure that regardless of any situation that he's gonna help MSU perform well.

Terpstra: So, you've been committed to MSU for a while, now this whole deal with OU is happening...does it feel weird to be recruited again or are you still feeling strong in your decision?

Nichol: Yeah, it kinda feels weird to be recruited, cause I haven't really done it since my junior year, back when I got offers through the mail and stuff like that. It's flattering, it's nice to be recognized like that, but I don't think that a lot of people have anything to be worried about, I'm with Michigan State, and that's where I stand.


Amazing how quickly things can change. Good luck at OU Keith, just make sure not to win any National Championships at the expense of the Wolverines.

Keith Nichol flips his decision...and Spartan Nation flips out

Wow...pretty crazy 48 hours for me.

First off, I trip into one of the biggest stories in Michigan while innocently covering the Lowell girls basketball game for FOX 17. I get a tip that Nichol is there rooting on the girls squad, and I somehow get a one-on-one with him in the hallway after the game. He blows me away by telling me that he is fully committed to MSU and is taking the OU visit more as a fact-finding courtesy visit. FOX 17 takes off with this story, and Bakita plays my full interview w/ Keith Wednesday morning "On The Bench", which is the morning sports-talk show that I produce.

Then the egg comes flying onto my face. Dantonio announces that he will not retain Dave Enos as the quarterbacks coach as MSU. Nichol gets blown away by the OU pitch. And just like they have all season, Spartan fans are left scratching their heads, wondering what the hell happened.

Well this morning I got Paul Konyndyk, who broke the story for Spartan Mag, and Noel Dean (who accompanied Keith Nichol to OU), to come on to the show with Bakita and shed some light on the subject. Here is a summary of what they had to say:

First up was Paul, who is extremely close to the Nichol family and Keith. He got the call from Gary Nichol last night when the news broke of Keith's decomitment. Paul said the decision was based on a couple components-

1.) The announcement that Dan Enos would not be retained was a serious blow, since he was the coach that Keith was closest too on the current staff and was really the last recognizable face left around town since Dantonio moved in. It was thought that Mark D. would keep Enos on staff b/c of their previous relationship at Cincinnati, but that has proved not to be the case.

2.) The loss of Enos was a kicker especially since Keith had already lost the man who originally recruited him, current St. Louis Rams quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier. Paul said that when Coach Nuss left that it "ripped Keith's heart out". Fortunately for State, Enos (who recruited Keith to come to Cincy) showed up and gained the kid's trust. Now Nichol lost his second quarterbacks coach since his recruitment, and has no connection with anyone on Dantonio's staff.

3.) The Oklahoma situation is far superior to that of MSU, and Bob Stoops and his crew were able to convince Keith of this. Paul said that even the most diehard of State fans can realize that especially right now, OU is head and shoulders above them as a program. Also, with Rhett Bomar being kicked off the team, there is a distinct possibility for Keith to contribute right away. At MSU he'd be probably be sitting two years behind Hoyer, suffering through a reclamation project. OU is a program that is expected to be a part of the BCS mix every year. When you stack the two schools against each other, the OU situation is better for a variety of reasons.


I was also able to catch up with Keith's high school football coach, Noel Dean, as he was stuck in the Oklahoma City airport waiting for a flight that could get them back to snowy West Michigan. When he came on the show Coach was candid about the trip and made a couple of interesting points-

1.) Coach Dean reiterated that the loss of both quarterback coaches was a big factor. He also said State fans should give thanks for Tom Izzo. He said that Izzo's visit to the Lowell-Muskegon game and his contact with Keith was the real reason that Nichol was still hanging on to MSU.

2.) Coach also talked a little more in-depth about the pitch OU made. The opportunity is just plain better. He said quote: "...right now there is not a better opportunity in the nation for a true freshmen quarterback".

3.) One thing that Coach Dean brought up that Paul didn't touch too much on was the administration's contact with Keith. After John L. was fired, Coach said there really wasn't anyone looking out for Keith at MSU (and he admitted that it was b/c they are a big institution and didn't have to time), but that during that time period of a coaching search, doubts about his future with the program started to creep into Keith's head. And then came OU knocking at the door. Coach went on to say that if MSU wasn't currently concerned with Nichol, then "...so why shouldn't Keith take some consideration for himself?" He made the point that Keith was not actively looking to get out of his commitment, but he had to listen to Stoops and take the OU visit.


Both Paul and Coach Dean stated that when Keith got on the plane, he considered himself a solid MSU verbal and had no intention of flipping his position. Most of us have no idea what it's like to be recruited to play a sport in college, let alone by one of the top programs in the country. Keith Nichol is just a 17-year old kid trying to make the best choice for himself. The choice wasn't easy, but you have to give the guy credit for having the courage to make a switch to a situation that he feels will be the best for him and his future; no matter what that means for Sparty.