Ok, I get it, Ndamukong Suh made a stupid mistake today. He should not have stomped on the arm of a Green Bay offensive lineman in frustration, but this national outrage is just ridiculous. Every national columnist is lining up to take shots at Suh, Schwartz and the Lions and much of it is just a gross over-reaction to a dumb play by a football player. Part of me thinks it is just the anti-Detroit bias rearing its ugly head, but that isn't all of it. We are seeing a typical reaction of the "waiting to be outraged" American public.
I'm not sure when it started but people in this country are so quick to be outraged in this day and age that we should all be walking on egg shells for fear we might make a mistake and be skewered on social media. What most don't understand is that these national pundits are paid to overreact, they are paid to whip up your emotions for fear of falling into obscurity in a media world full of noise. How else can you explain the abu ghraib-like outrage over a stupid emotional football play where NOBODY was hurt and the victim was actually quoted as saying "it was just two guys playing football?"
Before you give me the "Suh has a reputation" routine, stop. This wasn't anything like a late hit on a quarterback. This is hopefully the first and last time Suh lets his emotions get the better of him, but you certainly can't believe the bad outweighs the good. Suh is the leader of a group of players and coaches that have completely changed the culture of Detroit Lions football. He is passionate and plays with a fury not seen in these parts since the 50's on the gridiron or since Kirk Gibson was crackin' skulls with the Tigers!
Personally I welcome the change in attitude and fully expect this team to channel the rage and fury as they age and mature. I can't tell you how many times I've been in Philly, Green Bay or Chicago as our "classy" lions were being punked up and down the field. I for one don't wish for a return to those "glory" days. I am damn tired of the Lions always wearing the white hat and being the lovable loser; hell the rest of the league loved the lions when they sucked and rolled over....no more!
This team is a work in progress and if you are a lion fan you are better off embracing Suh and hoping he can channel his rage than ostricizing him over a stupid mistake. Get a grip, football is a violent game and people are going to lose control.
Here is a list of some of the other "dirties" players in the NFL past and present, I defy you to tell me you wouldn't give your left arm to see them play in a Lion uniform.
1. James Harrison (Steelers)
2. Rodney Harrison (NE)
3. Bill Romanowski
4. Andre Waters
5. Conrad Dobler
6. Chuck Cecil
These are just a few of the "dirties" players of all time, they all played for championships.
To me the most disdainful thing Suh did all day was play us for fools in his denial that he actually stomped on another player.
So lets all stop the rest of the season suspension talk. This wasn't Haynesworth.
As Kwame's momma once said "this is y'all boy." Get over it and watch him grow into a great player and an even better ambassador to Detroit.
“Ok, I admit it,” Barry Sanders tweeted. “I will be at MNF this week and doing the intro.”
According to ESPN, Barry will be featured in the new intro following Hank Williams Jr. ouster last week.
Said ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz, “This is the format we’ll likely use the remainder of the season. We haven’t made any decisions beyond that.”
Obviously Barry won't be singing the intro to MNF and I don't think any of use need to hear him sing anyway after checking out this music video of the perils of sex.
Expect MNF to feature a hype reel of Barry in his Monday Night Football appearances past.
Check out Barry rapping in the video below. He sings at the 1:42 mark of the video.
According to Chad Millman (no clue who he is) the Detroit Lions are now 10-1 odds to win the Super Bowl in 2012 in Indianapolis. I'm not sure I am buying that kind of success just yet, but I think we will all be forced to reevaluate our attitudes about the Lions before the 2011 season is over.
There are many reason why I don't think the Lions are actual Super Bowl contenders just yet. I think Stafford is still really young and will likely make some more mistakes as he grows into one of the NFL's elite QB's. Yes, I do think he has the intangibles to blow past the Tony Romo's of the world in the pecking order, I doubt he will plateau as Romo has for Dallas. The offensive line is also a concern, I understand that Pittsburgh made it to the final game last year with a patchwork line, but this current O-line isn't even mediocre. Jeff Backus has seen his best days and Gosder Cherilus is a waste. The O-line will be the Lions downfall this season.
Luckily the team is young enough that over the next few seasons they will be able to draft and add offensive lineman that can truly anchor this team and propel Detroit into an extend run of playoff appearances that end in..dare I say, multiple Super Bowl opportunities?
This team is different than past years, the Lions are finally built on a solid foundation. Face it, the success of the 90's teams were build on the back of Barry Sanders. They were never a solid teams, it was always Barry.
The Lions are stocked with great young talent like they have never had before, Stafford, Best, Johnson, Suh and company form a crew that is finally, after so many years of trying....built to last!
If you ever needed an example of what it is like to be a Detroiter, there was never any better than the response from the Detroit community on the death of Detroit Lion beat writer Tom Kowalski.
Today Detroit wrapped one of their own in their arms and embraced him for his work in the paper, the community and as a human being. It was a perfect example of the feelings that Detroiters have for one another, even though at times we aren't always given credit for the caring soul of our city.
Killer's death was heartbreaking but what makes you want to cry even more is the sincere compassion of his collegues, competitors and fans. Today I heard genuine compassion for a guy that most don't even know personally. It is a tribute to Tom that so many fans loved him. It isn't easy to win the fans over in this day and age, but I think Lion fans really connected with Tom's passion for the Lions and their fans. Unlike a lot of us, he didn't lose his cool with fans, he keep it real and he kept his cool, even when he was annoyed.
The response and fallout from Killer's passing has been heartwarming and a great source of pride for a displaced Detroit sports fan. If you would of asked me this morning who's death in the media would have elicited this type of response, I think Killer would have been at the top of the list, but it was bigger than I could have ever expected.
WDFN gave Tom his start on the radio, thanks to a recommendation from his co-worker at The Oakland Press, Pat Caputo. I signed Tom up and quickly realized he was a hit. I know he was frustrated with me because I never offered him a show, but there was never an opening that I thought was right for him. Maybe I typecast him as a "football guy" and for that I am forever wrong.
He was funny however, every year when it came time to negotiate a new "insider" contract he would push really hard for more money. I knew he was offered more money from other stations, but I just didn't have any extra money in the budget for him....he always stayed....because he loved WDFN and the fans. We had a good laugh every year at negotiation time, he'd bust my balls and I'd laugh and tell him he loved the radio station too much to leave. Luckily I was right and Killer NEVER left.
The outpouring of love and respect for Killer today was the sum total of his life's work and he would be proud of that! I'm proud of the Motor City today.
Rest in peace Tom. You did great work while you were here and we will miss you!
Please leave your comments....I'd love to hear your thoughts on Killer!!!
Recent Comments