Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was recently named as the NFL's "dirtiest player."
Surprised? I'm not. Do you agree with the label? Well, that's debatable, considering what your definition of dirty is.
But, as a devout follower of Detroit Sports for over 20 years, I can say with great conviction that I'm not embarrassed, shy or otherwise to say that I'm proud of Suh's reputation.
Even opposing players agree that Suh is a monster on the field, and that they'd like to be with him, rather than against him. That's saying something.
"I'm not necessarily saying dirty but just aggressive and intense," said Arizona Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington, who voted for Suh. "I'm on the defensive side of the ball. I like the way he plays. I wouldn't mind having a guy like that in front of me."
Detroit sports fans love the gritty players. Remember the Detroit Pistons "Bad Boys" from the late 1980s-early 1990s? Bill Laimbeer, John Salley; those guys were the heart and soul of the Pistons' bravado on the court.
Guys like former Red Wings Joey Kocur, Bobby Probert, Darren McCarty; while not dirty, they were certainly walking the line of being labeled as such -- and we loved them for it. I loved them for it.
Detroit is a tough city. And Detroit sports fans -- those who live in Saginaw, Flint, Lansing, other areas -- know what living in a blue-collar neighborhood is all about. We appreciate those guys who entertain us, and expect them to be a bit on the edgy side. We want them to be tough because we're tough.
And there's no debate about that.
Would you respect a player for not standing up? Would Suh be near the player he is if he wasn't striking fear into opposing quarterbacks? I wasn't a big fan of his dance with Jake Delhomme; the push on Jay Cutler was just a push, and Suh's intensity is something any team in the NFL would to have aboard.
Typical of Suh's style, he recently -- and prior to recently -- said he doesn't give critics' analysis much thought. He's been called "evil," "dirty," and shrugs off the comments with ease -- like how he penetrates offensive lines.
"It doesn't bother me because I don't listen to it," Suh told MLive.com's Anwar Richardson.
I think some have taken Suh's comments too far. He's been portrayed as a something, at times that he's not. He's not an immoral thug patrolling the field, looking to hurt a player at all costs. He's soft-spoken, intelligent -- and he can rip your head off, if he wants.
His episode this season with Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton was Suh's way of saying "Welcome to the league, kid." That's how I viewed it.
This point has been driven home so many times, but I'll say it again: Suh plays the game the way it's meant to be played.
I'd hardly compare Suh to the likes of other notoriously "dirty" NFL players, who shall remain nameless because I'm not out to point the finger at anyone. Suh, however, is not anywhere near "those players'" levels.
The Lions are 6-2, in contention for a playoff spot and winning games based on their motivation to shed the "loser" label. The Lions have an attitude -- which I like -- about them, and part of that confident aura that surrounds the team is because of Suh, who is a 6-foot-4, 307-pound manifestation of what being a Detroit sports fan is all about: Strength and resilience.
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