8
Dec
2011
What might have happened during Ndamukong Suh’s car accident (GIF)
(Photo: KATU.com)
One of the big stories this week has been the mysterious circumstances surrounding Lions DT Ndamukong Suh’s car accident last Saturday. In case you missed it, the already-controversial, anger-prone DT was serving his two-game suspension at home in Portland, where he crashed into a tree after slamming on the gas pedal early Saturday morning. With two female passengers in the car.
Initial police reports – based on his 911 call and testimony given by Suh at the accident – suggested he was merely accelerating to pass a taxi when he lost control of the vehicle, and that nobody was injured. But conflicting reports quickly emerged from both eye witnesses and the two passengers, who came forward to say that Suh lied, and they were, in fact, injured in the wreck. And while by all accounts Suh was sober, there was never any taxi. Suh just floored it when the light turned green in an attempt to show off, losing control before hitting a light pole, fountain and ultimately the tree.
The case has now been amended to reflect the passengers’ injuries and closed by Portland police, who say they have no plans to investigate further. But thanks to the wonders of the internet, we have this tremendous dramatic re-creation of Suh’s accident, and what may have really happened when mayhem struck on that fateful night:
GIF AFTER THE JUMP
8
Dec
2011
Dominic Raiola thinks it’s time for the Lions to “grow the f@#K up” (AUDIO)
(AP Photo via MLive.com)
This season, the Detroit Lions have been working hard to change their image from perennial NFC North doormat to the new bad boys of the league. And along the way, part of this new image has included getting busted for dirty play and – as exemplified by Ndamukong Suh – committing all sorts of foolish personal fouls that ultimately hurt the team.
Well, following their week 13 loss at the hands of the Saints, in which Detroit committed 11 penalties for 107 yards, including several critical unsportsmanlike conduct calls, Lions’ veteran center Dominic Raiola had finally seen enough. Check out this profanity-laced, post-game diatribe from the Lions’ captain, in which he delivers a fairly singular message to his fellow teammates: “Grow the f@#k up!”.
Audio below (Curses are bleeped out, so its relatively SFW):
1
Dec
2011
Pure Michigan Ad Parody: Lions Fans Redux (VIDEO)
Last year, we posted this spoof of those “Pure Michigan” TV ads that have been running around the country, which examined the sheer insanity of being a Lions fan.Well, they’re back with the 2011 edition of “Pure Michigan: Detroit Lions”, which focuses on the newfound bad-boy image of this year’s club.
With Jim Schwartz (“a madman who can barely stay on the sidelines”) and Ndamukong Suh (“wanted for murder in 11 states”) leading the charge, the Lions and their fans have discovered a brand new swagger … one that just may transcend winning and losing:
To be honest, I’m not sure that highlighting murders in Detroit is going to have the desired effect of boosting tourism in the state … ya know, since they’ve had a bit of a problem with that, and all.
24
Nov
2011
Ndamukong Suh kicks Packers lineman when he’s down, not helping his rep as a dirty player (VIDEO)
(Image via ShutdownCorner)
The NFL’s newest bad boy, DT Ndamukong Suh, was clearly missing out on the Thanksgiving spirit today, getting ejected during the 3rd quarter of the Lions’ ugly 27-15 loss to the Packers for kicking OL Evan Dietrich-Smith while he was down after a play. Not exactly a good look for the Lions, who were hoping to reverse their bad fortunes in turkey day games, but ended up losing their 8th straight nationally televised holiday affair in brutal fashion.
Green Bay was leading 7-0 at the half, and had failed on a 3rd and goal attempt when frustration overcame Suh and he took it out on Dietrich-Smith in plain view of the refs. The Packers lineman had driven Suh to the ground on the play, and Suh responded by driving his helmet into the turf before standing up, and stomping on his right arm as he walked away:
VIDEO AND MORE AFTER THE JUMP
2
Nov
2011
Ndamukong Suh speaks with Roger Goodell to clarify rules against his awesomeness
Suh was fined $20k for this hit on Andy Dalton during the preseason (Photo: BleacherReport.com)
Detroit Lions’ DT Ndamukong Suh sat down with commissioner Roger Goodell yesterday in New York, to help gain a better understanding of the NFL’s rules as it relates to Suh’s particularly physical style of play. Suh initiated the meeting himself, having been flagged for three personal fouls already this season, and fined three times (for a total of $42,000) for over-zealous hits since entering the league in 2009. As a result, Suh has started to gain a reputation as a dirty player, and was looking for some clarity during Detroit’s bye week as to exactly what he’s doing wrong.
This preseason, Suh hypothesized that he “put refs in a tough situation because of his strength” … in other words, he’s just too much of a beast for the pro game, and referees have no choice but to throw a flag when faced with his awesomeness. And there’s probably a bit of truth to that statement, since it often seems as though Suh simply overpowers opposing lineman on his way into the backfield and destroys anything that gets in his path. So, Suh understandably wanted to know if the issue can really be fixed by adjusting his technique, or if it’s an unavoidable result of the way he plays the game.
28
Oct
2011
Build Your Own Ndamukong Suh or Tim Tebow Paper Doll! (PICS)
In anticipation of this Sunday’s Broncos-Lions game, each city’s local paper is treating their readership to an early Halloween present for their desktops.
Both Tim Tebow and Ndamukong Suh are now available in cut-out paper doll form, which when fully assembled become full-on 3-D mini-versions of their NFL selves!!! Well, not exactly … I mean, it’s not like the Suh doll is going to start battering your co-workers, or paper Tebow is going to start inspiring everyone around the office (that one’s a maybe). But it ‘s still good, clean fun and brings us all back to our childhood a little bit. So grab your scissors and your color printer, and let’s get ready for arts & crafts time!
First up, the Suh doll from the Detroit Free Press, which you can download as full-size PDF files in both home or away jersey (shown):
(via Freep.com)
VIEW THE TIM TEBOW DESKTOP DOLL AFTER THE JUMP
7
Oct
2011
NFL 2011 Quarter-Point Jump To Conclusions Mat
Michael Bolton: That's the worst idea I've ever heard in my life, Tom (Image via blogspot.com)
Every year, we try to refrain from pulling a Tom Smykowski from Office Space, and jumping to any conclusions about the upcoming NFL season prematurely. In a sixteen-game season, it usually takes several games for teams to figure out their identity, and a lot longer than that to determine a realistic playoff picture.
So, while it’s tempting to draw knee-jerk reactions from a couple of games, we at least try to wait until the quarter-point mark to start making our hyperbolic and definitive statements about the season ahead. Even with the lockout-shortened off-season, four games is enough to get a sense of which teams are back in the driver’s seat (Packers, Patriots), and which teams are going to have trouble living up to expectations (Jets, Rams).
So without further adieu, here are our top 5 observations on the ol’ Jump To Conclusions mat:
-
(Photo: Philly.com)
The “Dream Team” is actually a Nightmare: This pre-season, the Philadelphia Eagles were crowned as NFC East Champions based almost solely on the big name signings made by GM Howie Roseman, who apparently attended the Dan Snyder school of Free Agency. Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins were among the stars to join the Philadelphia roster, and Eagles fans were planning trips to the Super Bowl before a down had been played.
Well, after a 1-3 start, the Eagles are proving that it takes more than just raw talent to win in the NFL, and chemistry can be the most important thing for a team to succeed. Plus, in the age of the salary cap, spending huge money at certain positions inevitably results in deficiencies elsewhere (see the Eagles LB corps), and so far the Philly defense has been a big disappointment. It will be interesting to see how Andy Reid – and the egos in his locker room – handles their early adversity.
- The Detroit Lions will compete for the NFC crown: Yes, the Lions bandwagon is already starting to get crowded after starting the season 4-0 for the first time since 1980, and completing consecutive comebacks of 20 points or more against the Vikings and Cowboys.Ndamukong Suh and Calvin Johnson are unquestionably young superstars in this league, and if Matt Stafford can remain healthy, they give Jim Schwartz’ team a chance to compete in any game. And first round draft pick Nick Fairley could return from injury this week, making Detroit’s defense even more imposing. Bottom line: the Lions will make playoffs this year.
- The Buffalo Bills are for real: The Bills are off to an impressive 3-1 start, and after defeating their hated rival Patriots in Week 3, they’re a fashionable pick to surprise in the AFC this year. Chan Gailey’s offense is clicking with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson and Steve Johnson off to a hot start, and the Bills defense has been opportunistic with 8 INTs. But those takeaways could be covering up for bigger problems on defense, and Buffalo faces a brutal schedule late in the season which will really test their road toughness. So while the Bills are definitely improved, and there’s reason for optimism in Buffalo, the division still goes through New England until someone proves otherwise.
(Photo: WashingtonPost.com)
28
Aug
2011
League fines won’t slow Suh down
Detroit isn't about to temper its Superman. (Associated Press)
Ndamukong Suh, who says he wants the Detroit Lions to be feared by opponents — especially quarterbacks — is making significant headway on that front.
The 307-pound defensive tackle threw a punch at Logan Mankins in Saturday’s 34-10 manhandling of the Patriots, and while he missed his target, Suh’s reputation as a dirty player continues to balloon.
Suh’s $20,000 league fine for a hit on Andy Dalton earlier this month is the third docking of his young career. He lost $22,500 last season for hits on Cleveland’s Jake Delhomme and Chicago’s Jay Cutler.
“It’s about having quarterbacks fear us, offensive linemen fear us, every single game we step into,” Suh told CBS Sports on Saturday.
After what he did to Tom Brady‘s offense, don’t expect the Lions to come down on Suh for his aggressive play. It’s been eons since Detroit scared a mouse and they’re not about to mess with Suh’s head.
“No one has ever played like this at defensive tackle,” Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham told NFL.com earlier this month. Sound like someone about to ask the behemoth to tone it down?
Suh plans to appeal the Dalton fine, but it’s more about principle than the money, which amounts to a moving violation for a guy making $40 million guaranteed.
Suh has barely gotten started. Quarterbacks have taken notice. And it’s looking like Detroit’s seemingly thousand-year streak as NFC North pushovers has reached its end.
10
Nov
2010
ReadAndReact Mid-Season NFL Awards 2010
Even though a lot of folks were handing out midseason awards last week, this past weekend marked the official halfway point for the 2010 NFL season, with every team now having played 8 of their 16 regular season games. So we thought we’d fall in line with the rest of the sports blogosphere and give out some completely meaningless awards of our own!
So without further adieu, here they are, the 2nd annual ReadAndReact mid-season NFL Awards:
Peyton Hillis has captured the imagination of an entire city (Photo: Cleveland.com)
MVP: Peyton Hillis, CLE - Everyone in the world is picking the other Peyton for this award (YAWN), but nobody has made a bigger impact on a franchise (or a city) this year than Peyton Hillis. The 7th round draft pick out of Arkansas was traded to Cleveland for Brady Quinn and some magic beans, which might turn out to be the worst trade of Josh McDaniels career, and the best of Eric Mangini’s. Since being given the starting workload, Hillis has taken the Browns on his shoulders, leading them to 2 straight wins over the Saints and Patriots. And more importantly, he’s given the team an identity to build around, and given Browns fans something to believe in. Finally.
Offensive Player of the Year: Arian Foster, HOU – what can you say about Foster, who has busted onto the NFL scene this year and leads the league in both yards (884) and TDs (9)? So far, Foster has claimed this year’s title as the stud RB in the league … let’s see if he can keep it going for the rest of the season.
Defensive Player of the Year: Clay Matthews, GB - The 2nd year linebacker has emerged into a dominant force this year, collecting 9-1/2 sacks so far to lead the league. There isn’t another defensive player who’s had a bigger impact on his team, and Matthews should be a mainstay in GB for years to come.
Morris is already one of the best young coaches in the game (Photo: TampaBay.com)
Head Coach of the Year: Raheem Morris, TB - At age 34, Morris is the league’s youngest coach, and his Bucs team is showing that they’re willing to fight to the death for their leader. So far, Morris has turned the team around from 3-13 last year to a 5-3 start, and he’s done it without very much talent to work with (a 2nd year QB, a rookie RB and two rookie WRs). It’s probably too soon for them to put it all together for a run at the playoffs, but with Morris at the helm, the future looks bright in Tampa.
CONTINUE READING FOR THE REST OF OUR MID-SEASON AWARDS
7
Nov
2010
VIDEO: Ndamukong Suh and Wes Welker step in for injured kickers
300-lb Ndamukong Suh tees one up against the Jets (AP Photo/The Detroit News, Daniel Mears)
Today was an interesting day in the NFL for kickers. Lions DT Ndamukong Suh is the early favorite for defensive rookie of the year, having made his impact felt on the league with 6-1/2 sacks already this year. Suh’s combination of size, quickness and super-human strength make him nearly impossible to block, and barring injury, he immediately gives Detroit a solid foundation for their defense for years to come. Not to mention a nice & easy chant for the fans after every good defensive play.
But we saw a new side of Suh this afternoon, when he was called upon to fill in for injured Lions K Jason Hanson to attempt an extra point. Unfortunately, the kick bounced off the right upright, and the miss would end up haunting Detroit:
The Lions really could have used that point, eventually losing 23-20 in OT to the Jets. According to Head Coach Jim Schwartz, Suh, who played soccer growing up, is apparently officially the Lions back-up kicker. From the Washington Post:
“There’s no question that Ndamukong is our backup field goal kicker” … “He’s done it in practice. We have a lot of confidence that he could kick it. It put him in a difficult situation because he went out without any warmups. … Probably should have called a timeout, given him time to get ready.”
WATCH VIDEO OF WELKER’S PAT AFTER THE JUMP
