Sign an online petition? Might as well be pissing into the wind

Terry Foster writes of Lions fans venting their frustrations in today's Detroit News. Fans have good reason to be upset, and the pair of Lions fans Foster interviews have taken to differing ways of showing their unhappiness.

One fan has said enough is enough, and is giving up their season tickets. That makes sense. Why continue to throw good money after bad? Why make yourself miserable every Sunday? That's putting your money where your mouth is, and not putting it in the wallet of William Clay Ford. (Not that he cares) That I can get behind.

Another fan Foster talks to has gone all Don Quixote, and is tilting at windmills posted an online petition calling for Ford to ax Matt Millen. Here's the introduction to the "Fire Millen" petition...

We as Lions fans have dealt with a terrible team for 7 years to long. Matt Millen has shown no signs of putting together a team that can compete on Sundays. The Detroit Lions are an embarrassment to the state of Michigan let alone the NFL and it needs to stop. We want to get as many signatures as possible before March 1st 2008 then this petition will be sent to the following: William Clay Ford SR, William Clay Ford JR, and Matt Millen. This petition is calling for either the firing of Matt Millen by the owners or the long overdue resignation by Matt Millen. Sign the petition today and lets see if we can get enough signatures to make an impact. Many may think this will fall on deaf ears but it is well worth the try.

Quixotic quests do have their place. But they are just that, quixotic.

I can appreciate the spirit behind the petition. Really, I can. I'm pissed off beyond belief at the Lions, Millen, and Ford, too. Have been for years. Hell, just read my spirals into insanity during my live blogging. But put me in the "Will fall on deaf ears" camp.

Is there a more futile act, a bigger waste of time, than an online petition? They are dine-a-dozen. Think about it. Has an online petition ever accomplished anything? Anything at all? It'll get some attention, and fans will feel a little better in venting. But it won't force any change.

Thing is, there is absolutely nothing we fans can do to change the old money, senile elitist's mind in regard to Millen. The 2005 "Millen Man March" and the "Orange out" did squat. The furious flurry of "Fire Millen" signs appearing at every sporting event on the planet didn't embarrass the old coot. The walkout at the end of the 2006 season got a ton of media attention, but was as effective as Ford Motor is at selling cars.

Nothing will change till Millen up and quits, and the old man is pushing up daisies. Period. Nothing else matters. Not our giving up tickets, boycotting games, creating petitions, calling sport talk radio, blogging for change, the fishwraps calling for heads to roll. None of it.

Why?

The Lions make money hand over fist, regardless our giving up tickets or not showing up. The NFL is a license to print $1000 bills en masse. The old fart doesn't even know what the internet is, let alone have any idea about online petitions or blogs. The papers have been printing Lions vitriol for decades, and it hasn't done a thing. Hell, the Fords are so in-bred, he probably can't even read...

I don't want to piss on the petition creators parade, but facts are facts. They don't do anything but take up bandwidth.

Again, more power to thim. I sincerely hope he feels better after creating the petitoin, and maybe by some act of God, Buddha, and Allah combined, it is effective. But I wouldn't hold my breath.