Ndamukong Suh and his future

Answer to previous trivia question -- The song was "Take Five" by the Dave Brubeck quartet. Tonight some dude named Colby won. He's really smart, but comes across as a little cheesy to me for some reason. Sorry. On to Ndamukong Suh.

Though the Detroit Lions won their opener against the Minnesota Vikings, Suh again finds himself being held up as a bad example on the airwaves. This was for a needless low block against one of the Vikings far behind a play. (Actually, his team scored a touchdown on the play, but it was called back because of Suh's personal foul). Another entry on his growing NFL rap sheet. It's like the man just can't keep from doing something dirty for very long.

In this case, he threw his body into the knees of an offensive lineman. Worst case scenario? Maybe knee surgery, out for the year, or worse yet, the end of a career. Didn't happen, but easily could have.

Suh is best known for his infamous "stomp" on another offensive lineman's arm. Worse case scenario there was probably torn tendons or maybe a compound fracture. Thankfully, that didn't happen either -- but it could have.

Suh's not so glorious resume includes a leg whip into the groin of an opposing quarterback, and smashing another QB's head into the turf.

The scariest incident of all was Suh apparently trying to wring the neck of yet another opposing QB before throwing him to the ground. It was gruesome to watch, and think how it might have played out.....

If he'd snapped that QB's neck, which appeared to be his intention, that guy would have been dead before he hit the ground. And then what would have happened? Besides the obvious horror story it would have been -- lifetime banishment from the NFL would have been the least of Suh's worries. It's entirely possible a prosecutor could have jumped in and Suh might have shortly found himself behind bars for a very long time -- if not life. Thankfully, that didn't happen either -- but it easily could have.

For his latest infraction, Suh just got hit with a $100,000 fine by the NFL. And that's a joke. The man's making around $12,000,000 this year playing for the Lions. That fine is chump change to him. Put another way -- if one was to have an "average" job making about $40,000 a year, it would equate to a fine of about $300. A nuisance, but hardly a game changer -- no pun intended. 

In real life, Suh would be considered an "habitual felon" and the book would be thrown at him. But he continues to get away with slaps on the wrist for his wanton disregard and/or scorn for the well-being and livelihoods of his NFL brethren.

Yes, the NFL is a violent game by it's very nature, but it's like Suh goes out of his way to intentionally wreak havoc and inflict  serious bodily harm.

And don't think it's gone unnoticed. To be sure, his fellow players have repeatedly voted him the dirtiest player in the league. They know -- all to well.

Perhaps former player, coach, and current analyst Herman Edwards summed it up best. The coaches can only do so much when it comes to such a player. They can tell him the dos and don'ts, but if someone like Suh doesn't heed their advice, there's not much more they can do -- other than cut him from the team -- and that doesn't seem likely given Lions' head coach Jim Schwartz appears to be a bit of a loose cannon himself, perhaps even tacitly condoning such behavior.

But as Edwards wisely stated -- the other players around the league know. They can fix this problem if they choose to do so.

So don't be surprised if somewhere in the near future, some other NFL team is watching film of the Lions as their upcoming opponents, and are shown replays of all Suh's dirty and dangerous plays over the years. It's also entirely possible a red laser dot will repeatedly point out Suh on the video screen in such a meeting, and the players, either by a coaching directive or amongst themselves, decide to take him "out".

What would happen then? The player(s) responsible would likely get fined and/or suspended for such a dirty tactic. No doubt the fans in Detroit would scream foul.

But you know what? I suspect the rest of the league, from the players on up to Roger Goodell, and the vast majority of fans outside Detroit would nod their approval. He's had it coming -- for a long time.

And maybe, just maybe, when Suh woke up in a recovery room somewhere after major surgery facing months of rehab, a little light in his head would finally come on telling him to change his ways. That's assuming he even has one -- not a given.

One way or the other, unless something changes, it's only a matter of time before this winds up getting very ugly for somebody somewhere.