Are the Lions dirty?

[Icness]

I'm curious for the board opinion on this. Suh met with the Commish today to discuss his playing style and numerous fines. Atlanta is still chirping about stuff from that game, most notably the Delmas hit that ended Ovie Mughelli's season. Lots of talk about the Lions style nationally.

So are the Lions dirty? And does it bother you?

[kellmellus50]

NO and NO= (quote So are the Lions dirty? And does it bother you?)

This remind me of the pistons bad boys days i was fine with them too.

[TSE]

Well if the league would put microphones on the players or the field, along with better camera angles as well, then maybe us fans could be close enough to the action to understand what goes on down there. The NFL doesn't allow us to have an intimate feel of the game or the competition, so it's impossible to say in a fair and complete way.

And since the refs are garbage, and the people who run the league are bigger garbage than the people who run the rest of the sports leagues, no I don't care, cause they set a terrible example for how professionals should behave. This just isn't a respectably run league or sport to begin with, so why should it really matter? In theory it should, but the way the game is handled and managed, that all goes out the window to an extent. When the NFL tells us they are going to take this game seriously, then this debate would have more merit and purpose.

[ajaX82]

Not dirty no. The D especially plays hard and chirps too much, yeah, but I don't see us as dirty.

Suh especially is always going to get the microscope, whether fair or not. He is just naturally intimidating, because he is such a beast and he plays so hard. That alone doesn't make him dirty. What he needs to do is cut the extra-curricular stuff after the whistle. He is scary enough when the ball is snapped, he doesn't need to try and add intimidation by pushing dudes and whatnot. I think cutting that down would help improve his image, but he is going to be unfairly judged the rest of his career sadly.

It does bug me a bit because I really don't see us that way. I think being Detroit has something to do with it, for the Bad Boys rep and just because of the cities rep. You got media outlets labeling us evil and **** and that's not real cool.

[Piston Pete]

I don't think the Lions are dirty at all. I think its all media-led hype.

[TSE]

Not dirty no. The D especially plays hard and chirps too much, yeah, but I don't see us as dirty.

Suh especially is always going to get the microscope, whether fair or not. He is just naturally intimidating, because he is such a beast and he plays so hard. That alone doesn't make him dirty. What he needs to do is cut the extra-curricular stuff after the whistle. He is scary enough when the ball is snapped, he doesn't need to try and add intimidation by pushing dudes and whatnot. I think cutting that down would help improve his image, but he is going to be unfairly judged the rest of his career sadly.

It does bug me a bit because I really don't see us that way. I think being Detroit has something to do with it, for the Bad Boys rep and just because of the cities rep. You got media outlets labeling us evil and **** and that's not real cool.

There is a very obvious psychological defense mechanism in play here. Detroit has the label of being one of the worst major cities to live in, high unemployment and crime, everybody is moving out and population is dropping, etc. etc. In these uncertain times where things are tough for people everywhere, well there is a negative feeling in the air within the human psyche on average. If Detroit all of a sudden has success, well then the others in the more "prominent" towns as they see it, will see a weaker community ascend above them. And that makes them feel worse and even more scared. The only way to combat that is to discredit, or downgrade the value of the Detroit community and the happiness of the lives of those that live there. If you can't improve your own life and your own outlook on life, then the next best thing you can do is knock down your peer, which elevates you respective to them. This psychological phenomenon is going to be more prevalent when times are tough, and less apparent when times are good. Look at any drug addict, who are they friends with? Other drug addicts. And how do they feel better about their lives? Trying to find drug addicts that are more miserable than they are so they can find that perceived elevation for themselves.

[Lionlifer]

nope, they are just scary, there is a difference.....

[chrbal]

When the Pistons were the "Bad Boys" in the 80s/90s, they did better because their opponents would worry about being able to defend themselves rather then playing the game (Rick Mahorn, quoted from a book I own about the Pistons). If Lions opponents want to worry about how dirty the Lions are and not the actual game, i say knock yourself out. But I think some teams are getting away with crap against the Lions, because the Lions are viewed the way they are.

[motorcity15]

Rather dirty than soft or weak.


But no i don't think they are.