Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is once again at the center of controversy in the world that is the NFL. Unfortunately this time around, fans of Suh, including myself can’t defend his actions when he stomped on the arm of Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith during Thursday afternoons game.
Friday, Suh released a statement apologizing to his teammates, the organization and fans for his actions…
In the past few hours, I have had time to reflect on yesterday’s game and I want to sincerely apologize for letting my teammates down, the organization, and especially to my fans who look to me for positive inspiration.
Playing professional sports is not a game. It is a profession with great responsibility, and where performance on and off the field should never be compromised. It requires a calm and determined demeanor, which cannot be derailed by the game, referee calls, fans or other players.
I want to reiterate my commitment to working to become a better player, and professional–on and off the field. My reaction on Thursday was unacceptable. I made a mistake, and have learned from it. I hope to direct the focus back to the task at hand — by winning.
The Lions too released a statement regarding Thursday’s incident…
“The on-field conduct exhibited by Ndamukong Suh that led to his ejection from yesterday’s game was unacceptable and failed to meet the high level of sportsmanship we expect from our players.
“Ndamukong has made many positive contributions to the Lions on and off the field. We expect his behavior going forward to consistently reflect that high standard of professionalism.
“We have been in contact with Commissioner Goodell’s office and were advised that, like any on-field matter, Thursday’s incident is subject to review by the League office and that any subsequent discipline would be determined by the League office.”
The League office isn’t expected to review the play until next week when all games are complete. However, FOX Sports’ Mike Pereira the former head of officiating in the NFL believes that Suh will be handed a multiple game suspension. Now it probably won’t be as severe as what Albert Haynesworth got in 2006 when he stepped on the head of Dallas’ Andre Gurode but it may be safe to assume that Suh could be out for 2-3 weeks.
Something else to consider is how Thursday’s incident may affect Suh off the field.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes that what took place on Thanksgiving could have an impact on Suh’s endorsements, notably with Chrysler and Subway…
“It’s an amazingly flimsy, and perhaps delusional, effort to explain what was obvious to anyone with eyes. Apart from the ultimate penalty that will be imposed on Suh by the league office — and plenty of people believe a suspension is coming — Suh needs to be concerned about the impact of his behavior and his lame explanation of it on his marketability. From Subway to Chrysler to any other company that has chosen to give Suh a lot of money to endorse its products, that money could be drying up, quickly.”
Nonetheless it’s going to be an interesting upcoming week as the Lions prepare for New Orleans.
Ref: Mlive.com, FOX Sports, ProFootballTalk.com, Facebook, USA Today (image)