Courtesy Detroit News

(June 16, 2009) Former Lions president Matt Millen said he remains a big fan of the Detroit Lions and the Ford family, but the team will not get preferential treatment if he's called upon to broadcast a game on the NFL Network.

Millen spoke Monday after he was named analyst for the NFL Network's "Thursday Night Football" telecast. He will broadcast with play-by-play man Bob Papa. Their first game is Nov. 12, when Chicago plays at San Francisco.

Millen served as the Lions' team president for eight seasons, during which the team went 31-97. He praised the organization -- from the drafting of quarterback Matthew Stafford to the hiring of coach Jim Schwartz.

"I'll handle the Lions like I do any other football team. I'll just look at them and break them down and see where they're at," Millen said.

"And here's the thing with Detroit. I love Detroit. I'm a huge fan of Martin Mayhew. I'm a huge fan of Jim Schwartz; I think that's an excellent hire. I think Jim did a good job of putting his staff together, but there is no bigger fan anywhere of Mr. Ford than me. And I would love to see him holding the (Lombardi) trophy. That would be great for him, but, more importantly, it'd be great for the fans of Detroit because the fans of Detroit, they deserve big."

Millen addressed losing with the Lions:

"You're only judged on wins and losses and so my tenure was not good. It was very poor. So instead, you learn a lot from failures, and I've learned a ton. So I can bring that to the table. I think I can view my experience with Detroit as a positive just in terms of not winning or losing, obviously, but having gone through it and having been exposed to every level of the National Football League. Yeah, I think that's something that can help in the telecast."

Millen would not discuss the issue of a Lions' contract buyout, saying it was "ongoing right now."