William Clay Ford wanted to win, he just didn't know how

Former Ford Motor Co executive William Clay Ford Sr., the last surviving grandchild of the automaker's founder, Henry Ford, and the longtime owner of the Detroit Lions football team, died on Sunday at age 88, the company said.

Many Lions fans have blasted Ford in forums and message boards for the team's lack of success. Many believe that the Lions' fortunes might change since he's passed. That I don't believe will happen. Over the years fans have been led to believe that if Ford died or sold the team that the Lions would be better off. The biggest misconception of Ford was that he didn't care about winning. That was totally false. Ford wanted to win but he just didn't know how. However, he was highly thought of around the league.

I'm not defending the man at all. I didn't know him. I'm a Lions fan like many here in metro Detroit. I just don't believe he was as bad of an owner as many fans make him out to be. He cared about his team, he just didn't hire the right people to make it a winner. Ford was loyal to a fault. He kept general manager Russ Thomas in charge for 22 years despite three forgettable playoff appearances. Ford paid the $5,000 fine levied by the NFL to star player Alex Karras for gambling on games.  He probably kept coach Wayne Fontes a few years too long instead of hiring a coach that could get the Lions to another level. The coup de grace was signing team president and general manager Matt Millen to an extension despite the worse run (31-84) in NFL history.

Ford was mostly a hands off owner, but trusted the wrong people to run his football franchise.

"Mr. Ford was not a kind of guy who showed his authority," the former Lions player Mel Farr told the Detroit Free Press. Farr bought his first Ford dealership soon after he retired. "And I can see how it'd be very difficult for Bill to be able to determine -- he was a guy that did not want to exert his power, never have. But some of the people that he'd stick with (were) not very good."

Ultimately that would be Ford's undoing as an owner. His blind loyalty to those who simply couldn't get the job done. So while every team's failures start at the top, it wasn't that he didn't care. Maybe he cared too much and thought that the ship could be righted if someone was given enough time.

Bill Ford Jr. will be expected to take over the reins of the team and he'll be more involved than his father. Hopefully the son won't have to pay for the sins of the father. Lions fans hope that he can bring the team to an elite status that would include a Super Bowl win.

R.I.P. William Clay Ford

Documentary: Millen didn't want to draft Mike Williams

Back in 2005 the Detroit Lions had their sights set on drafting DeMarcus Ware with the 10th puck of the NFL Draft. Of course everyone knows they ended up with Mike Williams, which gave the Lions their third consecutive first round receiver.

Williams flamed out in Detroit and Ware is a seven time Pro Bowler with the Dallas Cowboys.

In a documentary titled “A Football Life: Matt Millen”, Millen's son Matthew says that Millen didn't want to draft Williams but was talked into it by other members of the organization.

Matthew Millen, Matt’s oldest son, said that he was in the Lions’ war rooms in 2002-08 and heard the exchange that swayed Millen’s mind.

“The Mike Williams draft, I got really mad at him because we had talked all up to that point about, ‘DeMarcus Ware is a stud. He’s going to be a great pass rusher, he would fit our scheme, and he’d be the guy that I’d take,’” Matthew Millen said. “It gets to pick 10, and there’s DeMarcus Ware, so I’m thinking, ‘All right, we got our guy.’ And then all of a sudden, there’s chatter from some other people in the room that, ‘You know what, if we got this wide receiver and paired him with Roy Williams and some of the other weapons we have, we’d be a really potent offense.’ And I can see his mind starting to change.”

“I’m like, ‘Great, the buffoon just picked another wide receiver,’” Matthew Millen said. “That’s what everyone’s going to think.”

Matthew was correct about his assumptions. Lions fans were pissed and the media got the last laugh on the Lions.

In the end it sounds as if Millen is throwing someone else under the bus instead of admitting to his mistakes.

Quote Of The Week: Matt Millen, Roy Williams

Drinking Partners

Matt Millen and Dallas Cowboys receiver Roy Williams must've benn doing some heavy smokin' together this week.

For starters Matt Millen,the former GM and president of the Lions, sung the praises of former Lions head coach and current Chicago Bears defensive coordinator, Rod Marinelli.

Here's part of what Millen said: "That guy right there is one of the best coaches I've ever been around."

Keep in mind that Millen played for Tom Flores, Bill Walsh, and Joe Gibbs, all Super Bowl winners. What the hell was he thinking when he said that. Marinelli may be a fine assistant coach or position coach, but "one of the best I've been around". Come on. He owns 0-16. Somewhere Tom Flores just headed for his liquor cabinet.

Roy Williams piggybacked on that by saying that Millen assembled good players at the skill positions in Detroit. Is that why most of the players he drafted are out of the league. If I had what they were smoking I'd be less stressed right now. 

All Talk Millen(ATM)

After Herschel Walker's semi-impressive MMA debut,former Detroit Lions president and current football analyst,Matt Millen said he thought about giving it a try.As a Lions fan we know how he like to try jobs that he's not qualified for.This would be hilarious and ridiculous if he actually went through with it.He wouldn't have a shortage of possible opponents.There would be thousands of Lions fans(insert joke here) that would be willing to get a shot a Millen in any ring.