Lions owner William Clay Ford spoke publicly for the first time since firing general manager Matt Millen and head coach Rod Marinelli after a winless 2008 season, telling Mlive.com that the two probably weren’t ready for the job.

When Sprint signed up Peyton Manning to feature on its TV commercials, it made a bigger mistake than the Browns drafting Tim Couch ahead of Donovan McNabb.

Since Foxsports.com reported that Brett Favre provided inside information to Matt Millen and the Detroit Lions, people wondered how the Jets quarterback would respond.

While Detroit scored a huge victory in landing three draft picks for Roy Williams, the trade also shined a light on how poor the Lions drafts were.

There is an irony to the Matt Millen firing. The last head coach in Detroit that he let go, Dick Jauron, is on the verge of receiving a long-term contract extension in Buffalo.

The Bills and Jauron have had recent ongoing and amiable talks aimed at procuring an extension for the head coach now in the last year of his contract. It is likely to get done given Buffalo’s strong start and how players feel about Jauron.

When Lions vice chairman Bill Ford, Jr. criticized Matt Millen last week, his popularity in Michigan skyrocketed.

But the Fords, father and son, had quite the week dealing with the former Lions president and CEO, Millen.

When Matt Millen was relieved of his duties with the Lions this week, it also created an opening on one of the NFL’s most important committees.

Detroit already has promoted Martin Mayhew from assistant general manager to general manager. But it hardly means the Lions will stop looking. Detroit has from now through the end of the season to begin compiling other candidates to interview to replace the deposed Matt Millen.

Sometimes storylines overlap so much it almost seems as if fate has brought them together.

The Detroit Lions made it official on Wednesday afternoon, announcing that Matt Millen has been relieved of his duties as President and CEO.

Details of Matt Millen’s departure still are a mystery, but some of the details of his stay there are not.

Matt Millen made a far better television analyst than general manager. But his greatest strength as a GM was holding onto the job. Until now.