An off season message from Matt Millen

Hi everybody! I'm aware you might think I'm hiding from the media. Well, to be honest, I am. I don't want to talk to those guys, as they'll harp on the little bumps in the road we had last season. What good would that do? I've moved on.

Anyway, Mr. Ford doesn't care if I ever talk to the ink stained wretches, and Coach Marinelli is more than willing to keep telling them we "pound the rock," so why should I worry about those clowns? Between you and me, I have better things to do, like look back on our marvelous 2007 season.

I know, I know, you don't have to say it. I know what you're thinking...

You're welcome!

I deserve your thanks, as I did a GREAT job in 2007, didn't I? 7-9 BABY! Do the math! That's a 4 game improvement over 2006!

But we just missed the playoffs, dang it. If only 7 other teams would have lost their last 3 games of the season, and if we had managed to win just 2 more game...Just 2 more lousy games...We might have tied for the last NFC wild card spot, if 5 different tie-breakers went our way. See? We were THAT close...T H A T C L O S E.

But there's no reason to cry over a couple of late season losses that were actually much, much, much closer than the 51-14 and 34-13 scores showed.

Just think of what we did accomplish. We ALMOST beat the Super Bowl champion Giants! We almost beat the Packers...TWICE! We ALMOST beat the Cowboys! We held the 4 NFC East teams to under 135 points TOTAL! We started the season a torrid 6-2, and finished the season on a 1-1 tear! We didn't finish last in the division, despite what all the so-called experts predicted. No sir, we sure showed them, as we finished 3rd in the North! 3RD!

When you look at it that way, I think it's obvious to everyone the Lions will be on to bigger and better things in 2008. Like...Dare I say it? I will!

A .500 SEASON! 8-8! 8 and God damn 8! I feel it. I really feel it.

That feeling is why I'm talking to players of such high caliber as Al Wilson. We are sooooo close to being a .500 team, someone like Wilson could push us up to that next level. If it takes 3 years at $5 million per, and a $5 million signing bonus? Well, that's the price of being a successful .500 team.

As you can see by our negotiating with the likes of Wilson, there's no reason to worry. I'm in total control. We''re ready to make a splash in both free agency and the draft.

In fact, you have my word. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get the Lions to .500, and possibly win a tie-breaker for the 6th seed in the NFC playoffs. Whatever it takes...

Have I ever lied to you before?