NdamuPUNK Suh Strikes Again!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

On Thanksgiving Day 2011, there was little question as to who the biggest turkey was. Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh wins the award. Or should we say, NdamuPUNK Suh? Because, make no mistake about it, Suh is a punk!

His latest episode occurred Thursday in Detroit’s 27-15 loss to the still unbeaten Green Bay Packers (11-0). Suh was ejected from the game early in the 3rd quarter when he slammed Green Bay’s Evan Dietrich-Smith’s head into the turf three times which he followed up by stomping on Dietrich-Smith’s right arm.

Following the game, Suh lamely tried to explain away his actions by saying, “my intention was not to kick anybody, as I did not,” he said. “I was on top of a guy, being pulled down, and trying to get up off the ground – and why you see me pushing his helmet down is because I’m trying to remove myself from the situation, and as I’m getting up, I’m getting pushed, so I’m getting myself on balance.”

Suh went on to say, “with that, a lot of people are going to interpret it as, or create their own storylines for seeing what they want to interpret, but I know what I did, and the man upstairs knows what I did.”

That’s great, Ndamupunk, but so do we! With the benefit of instant replay in DVR’s, the entire football viewing public knows what you did and it was wrong! You deserved to be ejected! You deserve to be fined! And you deserve the suspension that is sure to be coming your way soon from NFL dictator Roger Goodell.

In fact, the man upstairs also knows what you did which is why you will likely be spending eternity with the man downstairs. But, hey, at least it’ll be plenty warm down there unlike the winters in Detroit.

Unfortunately, dirty plays are nothing new for Ndamupunk Suh. He was fined earlier this year for throwing Bengals’ QB Andy Dalton to the turf well after he had gotten rid of the football. It was his third such fine in less than a year as he had similar indiscretions against Chicago’s Jay Cutler and Cleveland’s Jake Delhomme last year as well.

In fact, since coming into the NFL last year, Suh has been flagged for more personal foul penalties than any player in the entire league. That, by definition, makes him the dirty player he claims not to be.

I admit, that I was a big Suh fan when he was in college at Nebraska. While I did not watch all of his college games, I did see enough to appreciate his greatness as a player. So much, in fact, that I was praying that the Patriots would somehow have the ammo to trade up in the draft to get him which I knew was unrealistic.

Now, I’m almost glad that Suh didn’t become a Patriot. While his mere presence would have certainly made New England’s defense a much stronger unit, his stupidity and selfishness are qualities that I want no part of.

He got ejected from what still was a very winnable game for his Lions who are competing for a rare playoff spot this season. And his pending suspension will further damage his team’s chances of making a run at the postseason.

And maybe the worst part of it all is his flat out denial. Like an alcoholic who claims that he does not have a drinking problem, Suh continues to insists that his actions are not dirty. Well I have news for you Ndamupunk, many of us may have been born at night, but we weren’t born last night!

Had Suh come out after the game and said something like, “I apologize for my actions today. I lost my cool in the heat of battle and shouldn’t have. I will try my best not to let it happen again,” I could respect him.

Football is a physical sport and when guys are beating on each other physically in the trenches each week, it can certainly test one’s patience.

But Ndamupunk had a chance to cool off and think about his response and what he said was the best he could come up with?

It’s sad when you think about it. Because that means that he’s not just a dirty player. He’s a dumb player too.