The Detroit Lions are bad boys, the tough guys. Bad as Leroy Brown, Michael Jackson and both Bushwhackers combined. The sportswriter shorthand this year has been the following: "Detroit defense might kill you," and "Detroit has no jobs." Print and repeat. I think it's a good thing, personally. Perhaps the NFL website went a little far with the whole Good vs. Evil thing, but no one reads the NFL website. It doesn't matter when someone calls me an idiot alone in their car, either.

You always avoid the tough kids on the playground. They loom larger than life. You play with your friends, punch the small kids in your group, but you make sure you keep the tough kids in the side of your eye. The tough kids will punch you, body slam you and scare the life out of you. The tough kids might not even be that tough, but their legend looms large. The tough kids never, EVER plead their case in the principal's office.

Why did Ndamukong Suh go to the commissioner to meet with him? Tough guys eat quarterbacks. They don't take meetings. "Mean" Joe Green didn't put on a suit and need the rules clarified. Butkus didn't either. I know that Suh does not want to be seen as a frothing crazy person, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with your opponents thinking that.

I understand this is a different league now, quarterbacks are protected like a brand new iPhone (DONT LET THE CHANGE TOUCH IT!) and you can't even tackle people from behind anymore. I understand that some of those things are based on the fact the fans love passing and it's hard to throw after you have been Falcon punched. I get it. But I really wish this story hadn't leaked. I really wish we didn't know that Suh was complaining to the boss. I love the whole "evil" story line because it makes teams worried to play the Lions.

We finally have a reputation other than "door mat", and that's progress.