Yes, it has been far too long, but I have been swamped under piles of schoolwork. Still, while I have been gone, not much has changed. The Lions continue to be the laughingstocks of the NFL, and following today’s domination at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings (hopefully we’ll have more on that tomorrow), it appears some drastic fan protest measures are in order. The latest Fire Millen movement, this one on MySpace, has issued a call for a walk-out, which I have happily posted here at Detroit Sports Unleashed.
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Herbert Nicholl Jr FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Email: lionsfan40@yahoo.com | 9 A.M. EDT, December 11, 2006Walk-Out Announced for Detroit Lions Game
Detroit, Michigan December 11, 2006: Numerous Lions forumite Herbert Nicholl Jr (www.geocities.com/lionsfan40/page5.html) has officially announced an “Walk-Out” as a means of protest of the Detroit Lions December 24, 2006 football game against the Chicago Bears. This protest is in direct response to the refusal of Team Owner and Chairman William Clay Ford to fire President and CEO Matt Millen. The Detroit Lions under President and CEO Matt Millen have failed to live up to the standards of a professional football team and have the worst record of any team in the National Football League since his hire on January 9, 2001.
As a means of protest, Honolulublue is asking fans to walk out or no show the December 24, 2006 Detroit Lions’ home game. Walking out serves the following purposes.
Send the message that enough is enough and that change at the top is needed. President and CEO Matt Millen has had six seasons to turn the team around and promised that he wanted to win and wanted to win now, he has failed to do so. Has drafted multiple busts every season since taking over as President and CEO. Has hired/fired three different coaches, and none have shown success. The Detroit Lions under President and CEO Matt Millen are 23-70 overall and are 5-41 on the road. No General Manager in NFL history has been able to keep his job this long with a record of such futility as Millen has.
This protest calls for the fans of the Detroit Lions to “walk-out” of the Christmas Eve game with eight minutes and fifty seven seconds remaining in the second quarter. Everyone should meet in the main atrium by “The Roar and More” and with three minutes and fifty seven seconds remaining, everyone that is there start chanting in unison our rallying cry, “Fire Millen!” Then at halftime, everyone involved, orderly and politely walk out of the stadium to show Team Owner and Chairman William Clay Ford their disgust with his inaction. This action is directed at the management of the team and not the players on the field which I will continue to support.
For more information on the “Walk-Out,” please contact me at lionsfan40@yahoo.com
We wish this effort good luck in attempting to get over 50,000 people who paid full price for tickets to walk out of the game in the second quarter, and completely out of Ford Field during halftime… Even if it is the Lions, I would have trouble paying admission to an event I was going to walk out of — how about another angry Millen Fan March or an orange-out?
- The Fire Millen Phenomena (21 Dec 2005)
21 Comments
December 20, 2006 at 6:49 pm
The 12 Days of Lions Football
A little composition from the SoundQue studios – we do a different version every year, since the Lions manage to keep us well supplied with material to use in making fun of them.
December 21, 2006 at 3:27 pm
As long as fans are willing to support the team by paying for tickets to see them, why should the owner make any changes? Whining about the team is not sufficent, but hitting them in the pocketbook is…
December 21, 2006 at 3:50 pm
This is in response to anyone that would not want to pay full price for a ticket to a NFL Football game and then walk out in the second quarter!! The whole issue here is that you are not going to see an NFL game you are going to see a masacre and a disgraceful organization that can not get it right!!! So if I could go to this game (I would but I live in South Florida) I would gladly walk out and try and make a difference in our beloved Detroit Lions!!! The only way to make a difference is not to show up or to walk out and affect their pockets. That is how the rich communicate!!!
December 22, 2006 at 12:40 am
Everyone going to the game bring FIRE MILLEN signs, or any of the like. This is National TV, time and place to take a stand!
December 22, 2006 at 12:40 am
Stop buying tickets if you don’t like what they are doing.
It is that simple.
December 22, 2006 at 1:23 am
If you want to take a stand – don’t buy tickets! Paying for a ticket, just to walk out, still puts money in their pockets. The best signal for change is an empty stadium – from opening kickoff.
December 22, 2006 at 10:19 am
I have to agree with Dave; not buying tickets would have been a stronger signal to management than paying full ticket prices and then leaving the game. They’ve already got there money at that point. If opening night is empty next year, it would send a much stronger message.
December 22, 2006 at 10:25 am
[...] http://sportsunleashed.wordpress.com/2006/12/10/walk-out-announced-for-detroit-lions-game/ [...]
December 22, 2006 at 11:40 am
[...] When I went to sign in (to write a completely different post), this article about a proposed walk-out of this Sunday’s Lion’ game was the “blog of the minute” post on the main wordpress page. If you don’t want to follow the link and read the original post, I’ve pasted the text of the press release calling for the walk-out below. [...]
December 23, 2006 at 12:42 am
why was the time of 8:57 chosen?
December 23, 2006 at 1:17 am
In response to some of the comments:
1) I completely agree with those who would not be willing to pay full admission to an event just to walk out and leave before it was even half over. The Fords will still be receiving their ticket money, though I don’t find the idea completely ineffective — when push comes to shove, fan displeasure this immense cannot be found anywhere else in American professional sports, so it has to have some effect on the ownership. After all, a team that actually has support and is popular amongst its fans is more likely to sell apparel and merchandise, which can become a larger source of income than ticket sales.
2) I haven’t the slightest idea why 8:57 was chosen, that was just the time specified in the original press release.
3) Despite ticket sales, a larger-sized walk-out would result in loss concession sales. At this point, I see no possible way Matt Millen could remain the general manager of the Detroit Lions next season. Earlier in the season, Fox Sports reported that he would be out before next season, so I’m crossing my fingers until the offseason hits (but I’m by no means holding my breath).
December 23, 2006 at 2:24 am
i say you should all leave the game…im a bears fan…more room for us
December 23, 2006 at 3:15 pm
i have to agree that a walk out may or may not work. i think the loss in concessions may hit them in the pocket books though. i guess time will tell, but that seems to be the theme of the Millen era. No matter the outcome of Sundays game, the players on the field will still have my support. GO LIONS!!!
FIRE MILLEN!!! FIRE MILLEN!!!
December 23, 2006 at 11:05 pm
Better yet happyfeet, you stay home and save your energy for the Bears second round playoff game, which as usual, they’ll lose.
December 24, 2006 at 9:16 am
I have been a Lions fan for forty years, but alas, NO MORE. It’s kinda like the deranged carpenter who was discovered beating his thumb with a hammer, when asked why he was doing that his respponse was…… “Because it’s gonna feel so good to stop”.. STOP giving a shit abiut the Lions, It feels Soooooooooooo Goooooood to stop !!!!!!!!!
December 24, 2006 at 12:49 pm
What the Lions organization needs is a business man as GM. Look at what Dombrowsky did with the Tigers (in a short amount of time). Maybe Lions fans need to chant “Ilich”…..”Ilich”…. He seems to care about the fans AND has a winning track record.
At this point, there is sooooo much wrong with Lions that it is unclear where to start fixing things. A walk out probably won’t change things, but it will make the fans feel a better AND as far as the fans go….stand up -cheer the brave rah rah rah!
December 24, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Mr. Ilitch may seem like a great owner, but despite his success in the NHL and recent World Series trip with the Tigers, I’m not sure I can trust him after 12 straight losing seasons in MLB. I’m not sure Ilitch has the financial power to buy another pro-sports franchise, and it seems highly unlikely that the Fords would be willing to sell.
December 24, 2006 at 2:08 pm
bob has it right. A walkout doesn’t mean much they still got the profits from the ticket sales….Stop buying the tickets if you want to make a real difference and see a change!
December 24, 2006 at 3:16 pm
good idea, but it came and went. Fox didn’t report anyone leaving…too bad, I was watching the game to see it!
December 25, 2006 at 1:51 am
As has been said already, the only way to really send a message is to not sell tickets, and that just won’t happen. So much of Ford Field is corporate- and season ticketholders, and they don’t care so much about the product on the field as they do about the Lions being an entertainment vehicle for them and their clients/family/friends.
September 20, 2007 at 6:53 am
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