Andrew Weber – USA TODAY Sports
Every story needs a villain, and some people are more comfortable than others with being that villain. The only thing Ndamukong Suh is doing wrong is denying that he is that villain. He is the new and improved version of what James Harrison used to be. And yet, with each punishment, he continues to say that he can and will change.
Why change, Suh?
There is no need to change. The fines he has accumulated account for around 1 percent of his total earnings. As a captain of the Detroit Lions, they are pretty much accepting that this is their image. They are conceding that they will accept dirty tackles and fines, and that will be the Lions’ brand of football.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Lions’ defense has been horrible for the past decade. When they drafted Suh, they proved that they were finally making an effort to improve that horrendous defense.
Remember James Harrison’s Pittsburgh Steelers‘ defense? Not only was it effective, it was feared.
The Lions are just taking care of the fear part first. Sure, the tackles are dirty. Suh has been voted the dirtiest player in the league and has had more flags than any other player in the past couple of years. That invokes fear in the other team. They want to stay away from the guy, and that’s an effective tool to utilize.
It’s time for Suh to take off the costume of being an improving player penalty-wise and just don the cape of the villain once and for all.
Follow Josh Sippie on Twitter, like him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
