A GIANT PIECE OF HUMAN EXCREMENT wrote:

Five years ago this month, Matt Millen asked for a stay of professional execution. Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford Sr. was firing Millen, at least four years after most owners would have done it. Millen understood completely. His only request: Wait until the end of the season.

As Millen later told me: "I told Mr. Ford, 'Look: You're going to fire me, fire me. Don't do it now. Not for my sake. As soon as the players see that you can me, they're going to see the season is done. You don't want to put your coach in that position.'"