SI King: Millen expected to join Bob Papa for NFLN games

[WoodysGirl]

2. I think you're going to see an announcement soon that Matt Millen is joining Bob Papa in the Thursday night NFL Network booth. Assuming it happens -- and I'm sure it will -- ESPN is getting busted in the chops by this in almost the same way NFL Network got busted in the chops when Jon Gruden jilted the Network for ESPN. The big difference is, Gruden left the Network high and dry; Millen will still be doing the work he previously agreed to do for ESPN.

So Millen, assuming the Network agrees to the deal, will work Saturday college games (I hear with either Sean McDonough or Brad Nessler) on ESPN, then the Monday night NFL pre-game show. Then he'll add the NFL play-by-play gig.

You might ask why ESPN agreed to allow Millen to do the Thursday night games and beat himself up by giving himself three separate jobs, at least in November. Good question. I'm told it's because he really wanted the Thursday night gig and wouldn't have been a happy ESPN camper had he gotten turned down.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/peter_king/06/14/books/3.html

 

[Bungarian]

How can anyone listen to that guy after what he did in Detroit?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

How can anyone listen to that guy after what he did in Detroit?

No kidding. ESPN was afraid of him not being a "happy camper"? Who cares? The guy is lucky to be getting a paycheck from anything related to football after the record-setting disaster he created in Detroit.

 

[Big Dakota]

A washed up boxing announcer and a washed up GM:laugh2:

 

[Four]

millen is good in the booth, so good it landed him a GM job

good pickup for the NFLN

 

[tomson75]

I actually think Millen is a pretty good commentator. I see relatively little relevance in his inability to GM a football team in his ability to do play by play.

 

[WoodysGirl]

NFLN Announces Addition Of Millen
Posted by Mike Florio on June 15, 2009, 11:36 a.m.

As we reported last week, NFL Network has hired former Lions CEO Matt Millen to serve as in-booth analyst for the late-season Thursday Night Football package.

“Matt Millen is one of the best television analysts in the business and we welcome him back to the booth on Thursday Night Football,” NFLN President and CEO Steve Bornstein said in a release. “Matt’s candor, knowledge and passion for the NFL, partnered with Bob Papa, make them a very entertaining and informative announcing team.”

“I am humbled to be a part of the NFL Network team,” Millen said. “It is very exciting to be joining Bob Papa and an outstanding crew of professionals on the Thursday Night Football telecasts.”

As we’ve heard it, Millen was content to work only for ESPN — until Jon Gruden swooped in and finagled Tony Kornheiser’s spot in the Monday Night Football booth. Millen, we’re told, believed that he had been promised the next open chair for the in-game MNF coverage, and that he approached NFLN about the vacancy created by Cris Collinsworth’s move to full-time NBC Sunday Night Football analyst. (ESPN has denied any such rancor or ruffled feathers.)

The bottom line is that Millen does a great job as an analyst. So great that at least one NFL owner thought he could run a team.

It remains to be seen whether anyone will listen to what Millen the analyst now has to say, given that he arguably was the worst General Manager in the history of the league.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

The reason they can listen to him because in the booth he's darn good. That has nothing to do with the fact that he can't run an team.