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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.
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A tear for the Detroit Lions

By Ta-Nehisi Coates

Sep 23 2008, 1:52 PM ET Comment

Oh man:

A day after Detroit lost at San Francisco, falling to 0-3, Lions vice chairman Bill Ford essentially said he'd fire team president Matt Millen if he had the authority.

"I think the fans deserve better and if it were in my authority, which it's not, I'd make some significant changes," Ford said Monday.

Asked by a reporter if he believed Millen should leave the team, Ford said, "Yes, I do."

The Ford Motor Co. executive chairman is the son of William Clay Ford, the franchise's owner since 1964.

In rare interviews, the elder Ford has stood by his decision to hire Millen in 2001 and to stick with him since then. With Ford atop the franchise, the Lions have won only one playoff game and are an NFL-worst 31-84 since Millen took over in 2001.

I think this is Millen's last season. There is a big difference between talking and walking. Even when you once kind of walked. Who knew?


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