Charley Casserley writes a letter to Matt Millen

Dear Matt,

Hey man, how are ya? Just relaxing over the draft? You had it easy with only getting the #9 pick this year, I had to deal with a #1 again, you know how that is.

Everyone said I was just posturing, but I proved them all wrong. “Reggie Bush is one of the most explosive players,”, “Vince Young is a hometown hero,” I didn’t listen to any of it. I did it, I took Mario Williams over all of them.

People are already second-guessing me, calling for me to be fired; it just goes to show how much they know. You know that. Being a good GM, where does it get you? A good GM never has job security. You have one bad run, and you’re shown the door. A bad GM, that’s where it’s at. I mean, just look around major league sports for guys who are constantly being lampooned but are still employed, Isiah Thomas, Elgin Baylor, yourself (Man, you probably really disappointed Santonio Holmes, bet he was totally ready to be a Lion). Kevin McHale, that guy lost like 7 draft picks signing Joe Smith to a massive under the table contract and he’s still going strong. Don’t be too comfy with where you are though Matt, I’m coming after you.

You know the deal; you really don’t have to win games to get attention. That can be really rough. It’s way easier to lose. A terrible loser gets just as much exposure as a great winner. I mean, how else can the your Lions and those Cardinals still manage to build new stadiums? The NFL is especially great; the marketing machine has made every football game and team into a “must-see” attraction. Terrible teams still sell-out, why be good?

What if we’re 8-8? We become another mediocre team that probably isn’t in the playoffs. That’s it, no high draft pick, no championship chance, nothing. Win just 2 games and everyone’s buzzing. Who are the Texans going to take? Can they get worse?

This number one pick, it really could be a monumental bust, exactly what I’m trying to pull with Mario. He probably won’t be Ryan Leaf, but busts like that are once a lifetime. People don’t ever stop talking about mistakes like this. “Biggest mistake since Bowie over Jordan,” I’m already famous, is anyone even talking about the guys Philly or New England drafted? I’m hoping Mario will at least turn out as well as Joey did for you.

That’s it, I’m set for life. No expectations, no need to plan picks anymore. Thanks Matt for all your help. (P.S. Good luck on building your team of 22 Wide Receivers, we'll see if there's better ones next year).

Your Pal,

Charley