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Matt Millen Admits Front Office Incompetency; 'Sorry, Detroit'

By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby

The term "tactical error" is normally reserved for choosing the wrong kind of screwdriver, or for taking the main highway during rush hour traffic.

But for Matt Millen, taking the reins of a multibillion-dollar NFL franchise was what he considered a "tactical error."

In 2001, Millen left his broadcasting job to become president and CEO of the Lions (with personnel control), a job which ended miserably. Millen's eight-year record set the bar for worst eight-year record in the history of the modern NFL (31-84 and a .270 winning percentage). He was fired in 2008.

Now back in the broadcast booth, Millen admitted his mistake on Fox Sunday, where he was working the Colts-Buccaneers game.

"Sorry, Detroit," he said, with a well-what-can-you-do shrug, after he admitted having a "fleeting dream" of being able to run an NFL team.

Millen is frequently referred to as one of the most disliked sports figures in Detroit sports history. He was fired in Week 4 of 2008 and wasn't there for the bitter end, but he helped spearhead the hapless 0-16 Lions team that season. That was the first time since 1976 that an NFL team had gone through an entire season without a single win.

Although he never found success in the front office, Millen has three Super Bowl rings as a player. He won one each with the Raiders, 49ers and Redskins.

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