Tony Kornheiser: Matt Millen's Booth Will Be the Best in the NFL

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Matt Millen has stopped running the Detroit Lions into the ground and started offering "expert" analysis on NBC, and I know I'm not alone in having a hard time taking anything he says seriously. When Millen offers an opinion about a player, why should I believe it? He demonstrated every year in free agency and on draft day that he doesn't have a clue which players are good and which aren't.

But Millen is, indeed, now a TV analyst again, and one of his fellow analysts, Tony Kornheiser of ESPN's Monday Night Football, offered a surprising opinion about Millen's analytical skills. On today's Pardon the Interruption, Kornheiser claimed that if Millen returns to doing color commentary in 2009, his booth will be the best in football -- even better than Kornheiser's Monday Night Football booth.

"It's fair to ask the question, 'If you're so smart, why didn't you ever win?'" Kornheiser said. "But Matt Millen is great on TV. Not good, he's great. The booth that he walks into will become the best booth. Even if he walks over my body and sits in my seat, it's going to become the best. He's just great at it, and in six months or less people will forget."

Personally, I think Kornheiser's partner, Ron Jaworski, is a much better analyst than Millen is. And while I thought Millen was a solid announcer in the 1990s, that was a long time -- and a lot of Lions losses -- ago. Kornheiser is wrong. People aren't going to forget that Millen was an incompetent general manager, and that simple fact will follow him where ever he goes.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-05-2009 @ 6:26PM

gmen4evar said...

Whatever his history in player development and player selections, if you actually ever listened to Millen you would recognize that he is an excellent analyst and booth announcer. I mean the guy has 2 Super Bowl rings, he DOES know the game.

1-06-2009 @ 5:44AM

Frank said...

He actually has 4 Superbowl Rings
1.Superbowl XV (Raiders)
2.Superbowl XVIII (Raiders)
3.Superbowl XXIV (49ers)
4.Superbowl XXVI (Redskins)

but who's counting lol, I love Matt he was a great Player and a great Raider.

1-05-2009 @ 6:47PM

GreatR said...

A great Analyst given the opportunity could occasionally make a accurate draft pick. Or after many years making all the decisions on a football team do better tha 0-16. Even a blind squirrel can find an acorn once in a while, but Millen can't.

I just tuned out when I saw he was an "analyst" for the weekend game. He is a total, all time failure in football. Its insulting to have him holding forth like it never happened.

Korny and Millen, greatness in their own minds.

1-05-2009 @ 7:16PM

StevefromSacto said...

The man has two Super Bowl rings. So much for "all time failures." What's your claim to football knowledge, GreatR?

1-05-2009 @ 7:49PM

akasteeler said...

When I first saw "mullen" as an analyst recently I just shook my head in disbelief!! I just flip the channel when he speaks. I love PTI and korn, korn realizes it's a small world in broadcasting and is scared to get his a#! kicked. He is kinda wimpy...., "good night wimpy".

1-05-2009 @ 8:02PM

dk45 said...

Millan's talent got him 2 rings, Millian's brain helped run the Lions into the ground, he needs to crawl under a rock and keep his mouth shut...As for Korny and MNF crew they all su*k and need to crawl under the same rock, I have to turn down the sound just to watch a game, give me Madden any day...

1-08-2009 @ 9:29PM

fredoderservedit said...

well said

1-05-2009 @ 8:18PM

Tom C said...

I suppose he will have a spot on monday nights giving his 'expert analysis' just on the featured offensive ends of the nite.....I can't wait.........he obviously can't do any worse than 0-16 on that!!!!!!!!

1-05-2009 @ 9:45PM

PFS said...

Doing color commentary and analysis for a football game and being the GM of a professional football team are very obviously two different jobs. I'm almost appalled that you make no distinction there. Should we assume Ron Jaworski would be perfect to take over for Carl Peterson now in Kansas City? This is the most inane, ridiculous posting I've seen in some time, and it's pure, reactionary crap. It's really WC Ford's fault for hiring Millen as a GM without him having to work his way up thru the ranks that Millen failed so badly in his position, not because he's a complete moron. His analyst work on NBC was actually very good Saturday, and no doubt will be again.

1-05-2009 @ 9:55PM

KJ said...

How many mouths does NBC in their studio, anyway? What does Millen make, 7 or 8? Don't get me started on Patrick and Olbermann....

Millen WAS a great broadcaster...then he proceeded to take an organization that was treading water at best and break both their arms and legs, and now we're supposed to give two toots about what he says? Please.

M

I freaken LOVE this comment.
SERIOUSLY. 40 guys on their pregame

1-05-2009 @ 10:04PM

Rob said...

Tony Kornheiser is the worst announcer I have ever heard, I have to turn the sound down when I watch MNF. What a loser!!

1-06-2009 @ 5:53AM

Also, I have watched NFL games every since I was a little kid (I'm now 44) and seem to recall that the Lions have always sucked, they sucked before Matt Millen, they sucked while Matt Millen was there, and there's no indication that they won't suck now that Matt's gone, they have had some great players no doubt about Billy Simms, Barry sanders and.....and.........and jeez I can't think of any others lol

1-06-2009 @ 6:43AM

jj hanson said...

Why all the Millen bashing i will take him any day over Tony Korheiser.He is awful and one of the main reason i didnt care to watch Monday Nightfootball.I mean he is worse then Dense Miller.
I want to hear from the pros not some half twit like tony that never played the game .My dream team would be Aikmen,Al Michaels and John Madden on Monday nights .I bet the rateings will inprove big time

1-06-2009 @ 8:55AM

hotdog said...

People will not forget. He's a loser that should have stepped down years ago, but his ego wouldn't let him.

Please go away, Matt Millen

1-08-2009 @ 9:30PM

if he was such a 'stand-up' guy, he never would've taken the money for the extension.
I'm not saying any of us wouldn't take WC Ford's millions.
But enough of him being a guy of 'morals'

1-06-2009 @ 10:08AM

webbsk8r said...

I can't believe anyone would take anything Kornheiser says about anything to do with football seriously. He is an insult to the game - he yaks on about trite little things and misses so many on-air plays that I wold love to be able to turn off the sound and listen to a local sportscaster but I can't. How Jaws puts up with him is a mystery - the guy must be a saint - please, please somebody wake up and dump Kornheiser - he is AWFUL!

1-06-2009 @ 12:34PM

exdetroitr said...

Unfortunately, Millen will be able to succeed in the booth (and get overpaid for it) because broadcast booths are not press conferences or talk shows. No tough questions. No hot seat. Just a comfy seat with fellow ex-jocks tossing soft balls back and forth to comment on. Plus a great buffet and free drinks. Whats not to love.

1-06-2009 @ 12:55PM

Dave said...

I always thought that Tony's analytical skills were the worst of the lot. He pretends that he understands the psychology of every situation with little or no insight into what is really happening on the field. Tony should be fired.