With the addition of Ndamukong Suh two seasons ago, the Lions acquired a player with a tenacity and attitude that few players have. He plays dirty, late hits are easy to come by, and he does whatever it takes to bring down an opposing player. A lot of people, including myself, hate Suh’s style of play. I’m not a fan of the helmet-to-helmet hits he’s had and as far as his actions on Thanksgiving Day go, I’ll never have respect for him as a player again. There’s no place for that in sports. Ever.
Yet something about Suh fits right into the city of Detroit and the city’s history of athletes. Dating back to the 1980’s, the Motor City has had its fair share of questionable characters. Who could forget the Bad Boys who were the Detroit Pistons? Bill Laimbeer, Isiah Thomas, and Dennis Rodman had a presence on the hardwood that was intimidating to say the least. There were Laimbeer’s many fights with Hall of Famers such as Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, and Kevin McHale, as well as Dennis Rodman’s constant bouts with Scottie Pippin. The Bad Boys didn’t care what you thought and weren’t bothered by their reputation. Bottom line was, they were good, and that’s all that mattered to them.
Then there was the infamous brawl in the Palace of Auburn Hills between the Pistons and Pacers in 2004. The Pistons were on the rise again with a loaded roster containing Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, and Tayshaun Prince. They had an attitude and a swagger that pretty much owned the Eastern Conference. Yet Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson (both members of the Pacers at the time) played a huge part in starting the brawl. It began with Artest fouling Ben Wallace extremely hard with just nineteen seconds left in the game. Wallace responded with a hard shove and after that, all hell broke loose.
The 2004 brawl wasn’t necessarily begun by the Pistons, but it speaks to the intensity and environment that Detroit presents. In no way am I saying that Detroit’s a city full of fighters and thugs, but I am saying that Detroit presents athletes that are willing to fight for victory, both literally and figuratively. The Motor City may not always enjoy perennial success, but there’s no doubt that a game against one of the city’s teams will certainly be interesting to watch.
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| The Bad Boys were a thorn in MJ's side in the late 80's/early 90's |
After beginning the NFL season better than anyone could have expected, the Detroit Lions slowly trailed off until they were eliminated from the playoffs by the New Orleans Saints this past Saturday. But this Lions team was something significant not only because they finally brought a good football team back to the Motor City, but because they emulated exactly what Detroit sports is all about.
With the addition of Ndamukong Suh two seasons ago, the Lions acquired a player with a tenacity and attitude that few players have. He plays dirty, late hits are easy to come by, and he does whatever it takes to bring down an opposing player. A lot of people, including myself, hate Suh’s style of play. I’m not a fan of the helmet-to-helmet hits he’s had and as far as his actions on Thanksgiving Day go, I’ll never have respect for him as a player again. There’s no place for that in sports. Ever.
Yet something about Suh fits right into the city of Detroit and the city’s history of athletes. Dating back to the 1980’s, the Motor City has had its fair share of questionable characters. Who could forget the Bad Boys who were the Detroit Pistons? Bill Laimbeer, Isiah Thomas, and Dennis Rodman had a presence on the hardwood that was intimidating to say the least. There were Laimbeer’s many fights with Hall of Famers such as Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, and Kevin McHale, as well as Dennis Rodman’s constant bouts with Scottie Pippin. The Bad Boys didn’t care what you thought and weren’t bothered by their reputation. Bottom line was, they were good, and that’s all that mattered to them.
Then there was the infamous brawl in the Palace of Auburn Hills between the Pistons and Pacers in 2004. The Pistons were on the rise again with a loaded roster containing Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, and Tayshaun Prince. They had an attitude and a swagger that pretty much owned the Eastern Conference. Yet Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson (both members of the Pacers at the time) played a huge part in starting the brawl. It began with Artest fouling Ben Wallace extremely hard with just nineteen seconds left in the game. Wallace responded with a hard shove and after that, all hell broke loose.The 2004 brawl wasn’t necessarily begun by the Pistons, but it speaks to the intensity and environment that Detroit presents. In no way am I saying that Detroit’s a city full of fighters and thugs, but I am saying that Detroit presents athletes that are willing to fight for victory, both literally and figuratively. The Motor City may not always enjoy perennial success, but there’s no doubt that a game against one of the city’s teams will certainly be interesting to watch.
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