Thanks to Roger Goodell we now live in a world where football doesn't quite seem like football anymore. Big hits aren't praised and celebrated, instead they are penalized and players who lay out the hits are fined and suspended. We want huge hits as fans, yet the league, media and even these same fans scream about player safety everyday, until Sunday. On Sunday we want defensive players to be ferocious, unruly gladiators, especially if they are playing for the team we root for. We want these modern day gladiators to hurl themselves at each other for our entertainment, and when they give us what they want we punish them. We fine them, and we suspend them. Seems backwards doesn't it? Lots of players seem to be caught in the middle of these confusing times for the NFL and fans, but one player stands out among them. He gives us everything we ask for on Sundays, but then we denounce him on Monday. His name is Ndamukong Suh.
Suh came into the league and it was immediately obvious he had tremendous talent, and was a fearsome competitor. He was the player everyone wanted on their defensive line so the quarterback would wet himself before the snap. He eats quarterbacks for breakfast. Suh is beyond a throwback player, he is simply from a different era. He is reminiscent of Deacon Jones slapping lineman's helmets, and throwing quarterbacks to the ground like rag dolls. (I'm looking at you Jay Cutler.) He doesn't simply tackle players, he tries to rip their heads off. He wants to be feared, and he has clearly made a name for himself. So if he is so ferocious and talented, why is the football world against him? His whole life he has been told to destroy whoever has he ball, and he excels at that yet we criticize him for it. Its like telling a kid to get good grades in school, and then grounding him when he brings home a report card with straight As. It doesn't make any sense.
Suh doesn't belong in this new NFL, yet he is everything that football is about. He is the prototype football player who puts on his pads and goes to war every down. How can we demand violence, and then punish the player that excels at that violence the most? Five years ago Ndamukong Suh would have been every one's favorite player. He would have been featured on big hit highlight reels on Sportscenter every Sunday night, and the media would be all over him. He would be hoisted up with the likes of Mean Joe Green, Mike Singletary, Deacon Jones, and Lawrence Taylor. But in today's league he is labeled as a "dirty" player. The media crucifies him and some fans will complain about his lack of sportsmanship but in a world where last place finishers get trophies too, Suh deserves praise for leaving it all on the field to win, not make friends.
We want our athletes to hate each other and play with the passion that we have as fans. We shouldn't exile the one player left who gives us all of that. He isn't "dirty", he is the player of our dreams, and we should heap praise onto him for being the gladiator we want. Suh jumped in the pit to fight the lion, and we bash him for using "unnecessary roughness" on the lion. Its ridiculous.
Not only do I respect how Ndamukong Suh plays the game of football, I love thew way he plays. And anyone who tries to knock that smug look off of Jay Cutler's face by making him pick turf out of his face mask is good in my book.
Don't suspend Ndamukong Suh. Make room for him in Canton.
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After seeing so many athletes blow out their knees and never be the same again (I'm looking at you Carson Palmer), I simply marvel at the strength and drive of Peterson to come back less than a year later and perform better than he ever has in his career.
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In past years before concussion-mania hit, the NFL had its own doctors look into the long term effects of concussions. While other doctors all over the world showed them proof of the deadly effects, the NFL and their gang of doctors denied the evidence and dismissed what all he evidence against them was saying. That is until their checkbooks might take a hit. Once the league realized they could be held liable for the health effects on former and current players their whole attitude changed. And don't fall for the nonsense the league tells you about how they care about player safety.
In the latest development of Goodell's nonsense, he wants to eliminate kickoffs all together. What? After taking away big hits and sacks now he wants to take away one of the most potentially exciting plays in the sport? A kickoff or punt return and completely swing momentum in a game and special teams can win or lose a game. Enough of today's NFL games are in the hands of refs, and now he wants to take the game out of the player's hands even more by eliminating kick returns, a key aspect of the game of football.
At the end of the day I think this award is Manziel's to lose. Te'o's biggest disadvantage is the simple fact that he plays on the defensive side of the ball. Klein has a good shot to take the Heisman home but it will be tough to take down Johnny Football as he seems to have broken every freshman and single season record there is. 
Suh doesn't belong in this new NFL, yet he is everything that football is about. He is the prototype football player who puts on his pads and goes to war every down. How can we demand violence, and then punish the player that excels at that violence the most? Five years ago Ndamukong Suh would have been every one's favorite player. He would have been featured on big hit highlight reels on Sportscenter every Sunday night, and the media would be all over him. He would be hoisted up with the likes of Mean Joe Green, Mike Singletary, Deacon Jones, and Lawrence Taylor. But in today's league he is labeled as a "dirty" player. The media crucifies him and some fans will complain about his lack of sportsmanship but in a world where last place finishers get trophies too, Suh deserves praise for leaving it all on the field to win, not make friends.
We need to see the big Cuban lefty on the mound every five days for seven innings or more at a time. When he came in games in the 7th or 8th innings we felt like we only got a taste of the dominance that Chapman is capable of. His three outs went by so fast, as did his fastballs, that we were left begging for more after the inning was over. We want more of the missile. As I said before we were robbed of this last year because of the Madson injury. Chapman had prepared all off season, and even spring training to be a starter before he was forced back into the bullpen, and eventually the closer role. To be fair Aroldis excelled in his role as the Reds closer, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be a starter. He was signed to a huge contract with every intention to be a starter the stars have simply lined up against the Reds and forced their hand. Aroldis needs to be let off of his leash and deserves a chance to develop into an ace, which the Reds organization has said they believe he can. He deserves a shot.
This year the Reds front office has again told Chapman to prepare in the off season to be in the starting rotation in 2013. The Reds have just signed Jonathan Broxton to a 3 year deal to keep him around, and look for him to be the closer this year. If that doesn't allow Aroldis to get his shot as a starter then I don't know what will. With Broxton in the ninth a choice of Arrendondo, LeCure, Simon, Hoover, or Sean Marshall in the 7th and 8th innings, they simply don't need to keep a great arm like Chapman held down in the bullpen anymore. We need to see a rotation of Cueto, Latos, Chapman, Arroyo, and Bailey with Mike Leake sliding to the bullpen. The back of that rotation could be changed depending on performance in the spring, but the front three needs to stay the same. Imagine a playoff series where the Reds throw out Cueto, Latos, and Chapman in the first three games.
